Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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1430. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will introduce a homeless prevention budget amounting to 20% of all homelessness expenditure, including provision for a prevention support worker in each local authority, and a HAP rent arrears fund to support low-income households experiencing financial difficulty and at risk of losing their tenancy due to rent arrears; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41214/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities.

My Department does not fund any homeless service directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988. A homelessness consultative forum has been established in each region in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009. Decisions on the type and range of emergency accommodation services and funding required in each region are a matter for individual housing authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homelessness Consultative Forum.

My Department has requested that local authorities continue to focus on and increase activity on prevention services including prioritising additional tenancy supports; the use of the HAP Placefinder service and prevention measures in their homelessness expenditure programmes, and additional funding will be provided where necessary.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to ensuring a holistic, cross departmental approach to homelessness prevention. This is being considered in the context of the new Housing Plan.

In relation to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), the HAP Shared Services Centre (SSC) manages the collection of all HAP tenants’ differential rents, on behalf of the relevant local authority, and the payment of all HAP rents to landlords on behalf of tenants supported by the HAP scheme. The HAP SSC follows a clear communication policy if rental arrears issues arise. This policy includes regular and early written communication with tenants, landlords and the relevant local authority.

The approach taken by the HAP SSC has been very effective with minimal levels of rent arrears arising for HAP tenants. At end Q1 2025, the scheme had a 96% differential rent collection rate with minimal arrears arising for tenants or local authorities. Therefore, only a very small number of tenants have fallen into difficulty with their differential rent.

Since May 2023, when a HAP tenant defaults on their differential rent payment to the local authority they will be offered the option of a payment plan to assist them in maintaining their tenancy and allow the HAP payment to the landlord to continue. If the tenant defaults on payment of differential rent or the payment plan, under the Landlord Payment Guarantee, the HAP payment to the landlord will be guaranteed for a maximum 12-month period.

The Landlord Guarantee is activated when a tenant in arrears has not rectified their situation within three months. The HAP SSC will contact the landlord in month three to confirm that the tenant remains in the property. Once this confirmation is received this landlord will be paid monthly for up to nine months. The initial three months will be paid retrospectively at the end of the 12-month period, or earlier if the tenancy ends.