Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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157. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of rent supplement applications made in each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021; the number approved and rejected in each year; the number of these applications approved on the grounds of domestic abuse; the cost of rent supplement in each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35396/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme supporting 18,851 active recipients at the end of May 2021.

The scheme provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The scheme ensures that those who were renting, but whose circumstances have changed due to temporary loss of employment or income, can continue to meet their rental commitments.

Since the introduction of HAP, rent supplement continues to revert to its original role of providing short-term support to those who have become temporarily unemployed and require income support to meet their tenancy cost whilst they seek alternative employment. The following statistics have been provided:

- Tabular statement 1 - The number of rent supplement applications received in: 2018; 2019; and from January to November 2020.

- Tabular statement 2 - The number of victims of domestic violence who have availed of rent supplement support in 2020; and for the five months ending May 2021.

- Tabular statement 3 - The total expenditure for the scheme for the years: 2018; 2019; 2020; and for the five months ending May 2021.

Statistics on the number of rent supplement applications received in the period from November 2020 to date are not available.

Table 1 - Number of Rent Supplement Applications Awarded and Disallowed

Table 2 - Number of Victims of Domestic Violence who Availed of the DVRS Protocol

Table 3 - Rent Supplement Expenditure Figures

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.