Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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294. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the delays in the processing of housing assistance payment applications; the steps he is taking to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32908/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Despite the challenges faced throughout 2020 and into 2021 due to the Covid emergency measures, local authorities and the Housing Assistance Payment Shared Service Centre (HAP SSC) have continued to provide a critical service to all HAP customers.

Measures that were required to be taken in the context of Covid-19 did, however, have an impact on processing times for HAP applications. Data on processing times is set out below:

My Department and the local authorities are aware of the importance of minimising HAP processing times and the critical need to keep this under review at a local level, in order to ensure times are minimised to the greatest extent possible. This has been communicated clearly to the County and City Management Association (CCMA), and my Department is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to do so over the coming months.