Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not gather information on the length of time it is currently taking to complete new social housing applications by local authorities.

Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.

The Regulations require local authorities, subject to conditions, to deal with social housing applications within 12 weeks. Local authorities prioritise housing needs assessments for those in greatest need and seek to process their applications within the prescribed maximum timeframes. Some applications may take longer than 12 weeks to process, for example, where incomplete information is provided by applicants during the application process.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The administration of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is a matter for the relevant local authority and HAP application processing times may vary across local authorities.

Once a HAP application has been received and confirmed as valid by the relevant local authority, it is entered on the system by the local authority and then submitted for processing and payment by the HAP Shared Service Centre (HAP SSC). Payments are made to landlords on the last Wednesday of each month.

If there are delays at the processing stage within a local authority, payment to the landlord will be backdated to the date on which a complete and valid application form was received by the local authority. The landlord is therefore not penalised for any delay.

The HAP application form comes in two parts, Section A to be completed by the applicant tenant and Section B to be completed by the landlord or agent. An application for HAP will only be accepted by the local authority when both Section A and Section B are completed, signed and returned, along with the required supporting documentation. Any delay in tenants and landlords supplying this information will impact on the processing time of the HAP application.

The latest data available for HAP processing times covers the period up to end Q4 2023 and shows that the average processing time across local authorities is 37 days.

Since 1 March 2024, tenants and landlords can apply for HAP via an online portal www.hap.ie/apply/ . It is expected that the introduction of this online application form will provide efficiencies for tenants, landlords and local authorities. My Department and local authorities are aware of the importance of minimising HAP processing times and the critical need to keep this under review at a local level.