Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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214. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a person (details supplied) can transfer their HAP entitlement to County Kildare in order to be close to relatives given their medical condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45355/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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A key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector, which best suits their needs, in their area of choice.

On entering the HAP scheme, tenants are required to stay in the same property for at least two years. However, they may be able to apply to their local authority for a new HAP payment for another property sooner if their circumstances change. For example, if they receive a job offer in another area, or if their family changes in size and the property is no longer suitable.

The flexibility of HAP as a social housing support is one of the scheme's key characteristics and was one of the primary benefits envisaged at the outset of the scheme. With this in mind, Departmental circulars relating to inter-authority movement issued in 2017 and 2019, with the aim of facilitating movement of HAP households from one local authority area to another in cases where a HAP tenant wishes to access rented accommodation with HAP support in another local authority area. Inter authority movement is, however, subject to certain conditions, such as the relevant Social Housing Income Eligibility Bands and confirmation that the applicant's income is below the threshold in the new local authority.

In order to maintain equity between all tenants in receipt of social housing support, inter-authority movement for HAP will be facilitated without reference to Social Housing Eligibility Income Bands in areas that offer shared areas of choice in their allocation schemes, as no change to existing treatment is involved in such areas. For example, in Dublin, the four local authority areas currently offer shared areas of choice in their allocation schemes.

HAP tenants who avail of inter-authority movement, can only be offered access to the housing transfer list of the originating local authority. 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 making of such schemes is a reserved function of the local authority and as such is a matter for the elected members.

The day-to-day operation of the HAP scheme is a matter for individual local authorities. However, given that such flexibility facilitates better utilisation of all private rental stock for social housing purposes and supports the maximum activation potential of HAP households by removing geographical barriers to employment, all local authorities have been requested to give appropriate consideration to these requests. It is the responsibility of the local authority to make a decision in each individual case.