Sinn Féin member of the Public Accounts Committee Imelda Munster TD today described the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) as ‘a poor substitute for social housing’ at a hearing of the Committee to discuss Department of Housing rent support schemes.
Having previously met with the Department last November, the Committee scheduled a second meeting regarding the appropriation accounts of the department to consider the efficacy of spending on schemes such as the HAP, Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and Enhanced Long Term Social Housing Leasing Scheme.
Teachta Munster said:
“This year will see the amount of money spent by the Department of Housing on subsidising private landlords eclipse €1 billion, representing nearly a third of all government spending on housing.
Affordable Housing Bill 2021
Minister for Housing, Heritage and Local Government Darragh
O Brien T.D. has published the general scheme of the Affordable
Housing Bill 2021 (the
Bill ). The
Government s Summer Legislation Programme published on 26 April
2021 lists the Bill as priority legislation for the Summer session
and notes that pre-legislative scrutiny has recently been
completed.
The Bill provides for the introduction of three schemes that the
Minister proposes to introduce to
put affordability at
the heart of the housing system and prioritise the increased supply
of affordable homes .
The schemes are:
A new Affordable Shared Purchase Equity Scheme; and
A new Cost Rental tenure model, targeting
Minister Naughton announces changes to Civil Legal Aid eligibility
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Minister Naughton announces changes to Civil Legal Aid eligibility
Review of Civil Legal Aid Scheme commencing this year.
The Minister of State with special responsibility for Civil and Criminal Justice, Hildegarde Naughton, TD, has today announced positive changes to the eligibility criteria for the Civil Legal Aid Scheme.
“
I am pleased to announce that the Legal Aid Board will no longer include the Housing Assistance Payment in their calculation of entitlement to civil legal aid”.
“This will have a positive impact for families and individuals who are of modest means and are in receipt of HAP or any other housing support measure provided by a Department of State or any other public body. This will no longer be an impediment to them accessing legal advice and representation where the other criteria of the scheme are met.”
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