Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

155. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps being taken to monitor and enforce compliance within the housing assistance payment scheme. [68337/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. In order for a household to qualify for HAP, they must first be assessed as eligible for social housing support by their local authority. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP and those households must source their own accommodation in the private rental sector. 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.

Limerick City and County Council provides a highly effective HAP transactional shared service on behalf of all local authorities. 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.

Once a Housing Assistance Payment (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 Services Centre (HAPSSC).

Local authorities are responsible for the design, implementation and maintenance of an internal control system to prevent and detect errors and suspected fraud. They are also subject to their own audit processes. In addition, the HAPSSC is subject to both internal and external audits, the latter being an annual audit undertaken by the Local Government Audit Service.

Since March 2022, my Department has implemented a programme of control reviews to identify and address any incidence of error or suspected fraud within the HAP scheme. This includes formalised procedures for liaising with both the HAP SSC and local authorities to provide supporting documentation for randomly selected HAP tenancies each month. These desk-based checks are carried out in addition to the HAP SSC’s internal controls, and form part of my Department’s broader assurance framework.

In Q1 2023, a dedicated Compliance and Oversight Team was set up within the HAP and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) Unit to strengthen governance and ensure robust financial controls. The team carries out both desk-based and local authority on-site compliance visits across all 31 local authorities. Each visit examines compliance with HAP scheme requirements and involves preparatory checks, staff engagement and structured file reviews. Findings are reported directly to the relevant local authority and also collated to inform learning and promote best practice across all local authorities.

In addition, the HAP Governance Oversight Group provides strategic oversight of governance and compliance arrangements. This group monitors control frameworks and promotes consistency in compliance standards throughout the scheme.

Finally, a specific HAP anti-fraud policy is currently being developed for the scheme. This policy will consolidate all control measures under a single framework, enhancing the prevention, detection and management of fraud and aligning the work of the HAP SSC, local authorities and the Oversight and Compliance Team’s work.