Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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245. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will respond to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22109/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, tenants 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.

Since 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 person households. Up to 50% discretion can be provided in the case of homeless households in the Dublin region. It is a matter for the local authority to determine whether, and to what extent, the application of the flexibility is warranted.

From available data, at the end of 2024, 69% of the total number of households being supported by HAP were benefiting from the additional flexibility, at an average rate of discretion of 29% above the relevant limit. When the additional discretion available to homeless households in the Dublin Region is removed, 66% of households nationally were benefitting from the additional flexibility. In those cases, the average rate of discretionary payment being used was 24% above the relevant limit.

An average of 156 new HAP tenancies were set up each week in 2024 indicating that the scheme continues to support large numbers households to secure a home in the private rental market. 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.