Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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306. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the programme for Government commitments (details supplied); if they have been completed; if not, the timeline for progression; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48002/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The commitments in question (details supplied) are being progressed by my Department. Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. Housing for All details how the Government will approach this challenge and includes a commitment to develop a National Youth Homelessness Strategy within Quarter 1 of 2022. Preparing this strategy will involve co-operation and co-ordination between myself and my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Key operational elements in the provision of supports to young people experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness, fall within the responsibility of a range of agencies and stakeholder bodies. Their views will also form part of the process in developing the Strategy.

Maximum rent limits for the HAP scheme are set out for each housing authority area by the Housing Assistance Payment (Amendment) Regulations 2017. The current maximum HAP rent limits are available on the Irish Statute Book website at the following link:

www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2017/si/56/made/en/print?q=housing&years=2017

Local authorities also have discretion, because of local rental market conditions, to exceed the maximum rent limit by up to 20%, or up to 50% in the Dublin region for those households either in, or at immediate risk of homelessness. It should be noted that it is a matter for the local authority to determine whether the application of the flexibility is warranted on a case by case basis and also the level of additional discretion applied in each case.

My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review and closely monitors the level of discretion being used by local authorities, taking into account other sources of data, including Residential Tenancies Board rent data published on a quarterly basis.

The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that HAP levels are adequate to support vulnerable households, while we increase the supply of social housing. Under Housing for All, my Department will, by end 2021, undertake an exercise to examine whether an increase in the level of discretion available to Local Authorities under HAP is required, in order to maintain adequate levels of HAP support.

Responsibility for Rent Supplement falls within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection.