Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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1687. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will review the designation of recipients of HAP housing as having their housing needs met, to allow them to remain on social housing waiting lists and be assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44225/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Consistent with the provisions in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is considered to be a social housing support and consequently households in receipt of a payment under the HAP scheme are not eligible to remain on the main housing waiting list. However, acknowledging that some households on the waiting list, who avail of HAP, may have a preference for other forms of social housing, Ministerial directions have issued to ensure that, should they so choose, HAP recipients can avail of a move to other forms of social housing support through a transfer list.

Furthermore, local authorities are also directed that HAP recipients who apply to go on the transfer list should get full credit for the time they spent on the waiting list and be placed on the transfer list with no less favourable terms than if they had remained on the waiting list.

The practical operation of transfer lists is a matter for each local authority to manage, on the basis of its own scheme of letting priorities. The making of such schemes is a reserved function of the local authority and as such is a matter for the elected members.