Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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704. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the position regarding the recipients of HAP in each local authority; if they are deemed to be housed once in receipt of HAP; if they are taken off the local authority housing list once in receipt of HAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15308/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) HAP is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. In order for a household to qualify for HAP, they must first be assessed as eligible for social housing support by their local authority. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP and those households must source their own accommodation in the private rental sector.

As HAP is a social housing support, households in receipt of HAP are not eligible to remain on the main housing waiting list. However, acknowledging that some households on the waiting list, who avail of HAP, have expectations that they would receive a more traditional form of social housing support, recipients can avail of a move to other forms of social housing through a transfer list.

The practical operation of transfer lists is a matter for each local authority to manage, on the basis of their own scheme of letting priorities. The number of persons on the housing transfer list is also a matter for each individual local authority.

HAP continues to be an effective and secure form of social housing support, and remains a significant part of the suite of social housing options currently available across the country.