Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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285. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide a summary of all changes to the rental accommodation scheme in the past year, including any relevant circulars issued to local authorities, any changes to relevant regulations, any new funding made available for the scheme; and whether the scheme is now available to new applicants who are at risk of homelessness. [53229/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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As part of Housing for All, a review of the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) was undertaken to evaluate the functioning of the scheme in relation to its established objectives and to ascertain what future direction the scheme might take.

A Review of the future of the Rental Accommodation Scheme was published in January 2025 and was circulated to all local authorities. It is available at the following link - www.assets.gov.ie/static/documents/a-review-of-the-future-of-the-rental-accommodation-scheme.pdf

The Review confirmed that RAS continues to play an important role in the suite of social housing supports and proposed 23 recommendations to refocus and rejuvenate the scheme. These modifications are required in order to retain landlords, ensure housing quality and provide more access to housing for vulnerable groups. My Department is working on the implementation of these recommendations. RAS remains available to eligible households, including those at risk of homelessness.