Revealed: Almost 500 Rental Accommodation Scheme supported tenancies in Carlow

There were 499 Rental Accommodation Scheme supported tenancies in Carlow in the first quarter of this year, it has been revealed. 

RAS is a social housing support introduced to cater for the accommodation needs of persons who are in receipt of long-term rent supplement.

In a Parliamentary Question, Sinn Féin's Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government about the number of RAS tenancies active on June 1 2019 or the nearest possible date by local authority area. 

Minister Eoghan Murphy provided figures on the latest data in respect of RAS which reflected the position after the first three months of this year when there were a total of 18,697 tenancies supported under the scheme nationally. 

Carlow's figure of 499 was among the lowest in the country. 

Persons normally must be in receipt of rent supplement for a minimum period of 18 months and be assessed as having a long-term housing need before they can receive a RAS payment. 

Under the RAS scheme, private rented properties provide an additional source of rental accommodation for eligible persons.