GRAVE concerns have been expressed locally at a dramatic shift in homeless Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) tenancies in Limerick in recent years.
Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan made the comments in reaction to a Department of Housing response showing that the number of active HAP tenancies had reduced since 2019.
The Limerick City TD said that the number of active HAP tenancies in Limerick have fallen from 2,302 in 2019 to 1,766 in the third quarter of 2025. This reduction in the number of active HAP tenancies, he revealed, has coincided with a rise in the number of people availing of State-provided emergency accommodation.
“The price of private rent in Limerick has become unaffordable for many, with the average monthly rent standing at €2,400. Those seeking to rent face the double challenge of finding an available house or apartment and being able to afford the average monthly rent,” he told the Limerick Post.
The Sinn Féin TD also pointed to an ever-increasing number of working families that are earning too much to be considered for social housing but earn too little to afford a mortgage.
“Consideration must be given to increasing income thresholds in support of these families. There remains a significant number of people seeking Council housing while many houses remain boarded up and unoccupied,” he said.
As the Government and local authorities now finalise their new social housing delivery plans, Quinlivan wants to see them take into account total social housing need, including council lists, and HAP and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) tenants.