Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for housing support through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme. Once a household has been deemed eligible for social housing support, it is a matter for the local authority to examine the suite of social housing supports available, including the HAP scheme, to determine the most appropriate form of social housing support for that household in the administrative area of that local authority.

A key principle of the HAP scheme is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector and are advised that this accommodation should be within the HAP rent limits provided to them by the local authority. The limits applicable are related to the specific household and the rental market in the area.

Since 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. It should be noted that it is a matter for the local authority to determine if the application of the discretion is warranted on a case-by-case basis and also the level of additional discretion applied in each case. The day-to-day operation of the social housing system is a matter for the relevant local authority, and ultimately, it is the responsibility of the local authority to make a decision in each individual case.

Each local authority has a customer service charter and complaints procedure for applicants who may wish to make a complaint regarding the service they receive. Following that complaint, if they consider that they have been unfairly treated or are not satisfied with the Council’s decision on their complaint, it is open to them to make a complaint to the Ombudsman.

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.