Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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186. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the HAP rates of the local authority providing the HAP apply if a person is availing of HAP to rent a property outside of the relevant local authority’s jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58613/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The flexibility of Housing Assistance Programme (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.

HAP tenants that avail of inter-authority movement continue to be dealt with by their originating local authority. However, the rent limits applicable are those that apply in the local authority where the property is situated.

Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 35% above the prescribed maximum rent limit in circumstances where it is necessary, because of local rental market conditions, to secure appropriate accommodation for a household that requires it.

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.