Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Maximum rent limits for HAP were set for each housing authority area in 2016 in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection (DSP). In reviewing the rent limits, my Department worked closely with DSP and monitored data gathered from the Residential Tenancies Board and the HAP Shared Services Centre.

A key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that tenancies are sustainable and are advised not to provide HAP support to tenancies where the household would not be in a position to meet the rental costs being sought.

Under Housing for All, my Department was tasked with undertaking an analytical exercise to examine whether an increase in the level of discretion available to local authorities under HAP was required.

Following this analysis, from 11 July 2022, each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 35% above the prescribed maximum rent limit and for new tenancies to extend the couple’s rate to single persons households. Discretion can be increased up to 50% above the prescribed maximum rent limits for Homeless HAP tenancies in Dublin. The additional discretion available to homeless households recognises the difficulty this cohort of households face in sourcing and securing properties in a highly competitive rental market. 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 discretion applied in each case.

My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review, including the adequacy of HAP rent limits.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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46. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on whether it is equitable that additional measures approved under Housing for All to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs does not include people in rural Ireland on group water schemes as it only refunds Uisce Éireann water and wastewater standard connection charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54169/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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On 25 April 2023, as part of a suite of measures to help reduce housing construction costs and incentivise increased housing supply, the Government introduced a temporary time-limited arrangement to waiver the local authority “section 48” development contribution and a refund scheme for water and wastewater connection charges payable to Uisce Éireann.

I can confirm that charges set by Group Water Scheme and paid by their members do not fall within the scope of the refund scheme approved by Government.

Group water schemes are community-owned and community-run organisations and accordingly I have no function in their day-to-day management or operation.