Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has agreed to extend the Rent-a-Room Relief scheme disregard to social welfare recipients, extend the disregard into medical card criteria, and permit local authority tenancies access the scheme. The commitment to extend the Rent-a-Room Relief Scheme was included as a supplementary action in Housing for All.

My Department provided for the extension of the scheme to local authority tenancies, and worked closely with the City and County Management Association (CCMA) to introduce the 'Room for a Student - Local Authority Scheme'. The scheme came into operation on 1 December 2023 and allows local authority tenants to rent out a room in their homes to eligible third level students. This scheme is operated on an administrative basis by the local authorities.

My Department will monitor this scheme for a period of 12 months in order to establish the take-up and impact of the scheme. In parallel, my Department will make preparations for the introduction of the scheme on a broader basis and on a fully statutory footing. The preparation of these statutory arrangements will be informed and therefore, benefit from, the operation of the initial targeting of the scheme.

In relation to the social welfare and medical card disregards, while these are matters for my Government colleagues, I understand that Regulations made by Minister for Social Protection to extended the Rent-a-Room Tax Relief disregard to local authority tenants renting a room(s) under this Scheme, came into effect on 1 December 2023. Furthermore, Government approved the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 which will disregard income received under the Revenue Commissioners Rent a Room Tax Relief Scheme for medical and GP card holders.

I am confident that these measures will remove disincentives to participation in the Scheme.