SDCC to spend more than €100m on HAP scheme this year

Dublin Mid-West and Sinn Féin councillor Derren Ó Brádaigh has expressed alarm at the rise in spending levels for rent subsidies in South Dublin.

Ó Brádaigh was commenting following a response received from council officials to a question regarding rent subsidies in recent years.

Lucan-Palmerstown-North Clondalkin representative said that the HAP and RAS will cost South Dublin County Council and the taxpayer over €100m this year.

“The absence of sufficient accommodation for ordinary families and workers has led to a very worrying over reliance on the private rental sector,” he said.

“Rental assistance total spends by SDCC are increasing dramatically every year – €72m in 2019, €81m in 2020, €95m in 2021 with the total subsidies set to exceed €102m for this current year.

“The biggest area of expenditure within these figures is on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).

“Over dependence on HAP is not only bad for the tenant, but it is also poor value for money for the exchequer and has in my view diluted the urgency we need directed toward the building of large scale social and affordable housing developments.

“Since the introduction of HAP in 2014, government have spent almost €2.5 billion across the state on this scheme, with €1 billion of this spent in the last two years alone.

“This figure is continuing to rise every year and illustrates the abject failure of those in charge of the purse strings to prioritise investment and provide for those in need of much awaited homes.

“The present situation is simply unsustainable and is ultimately dead money. We need to see significant increases in real social housing targets and delivery in the immediate future.”