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Rental Accomodation Scheme

The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is an initiative by the Government to cater for the accommodation needs of certain persons in receipt of rent supplement, normally for more than 18 months and who are assessed as having a long-term housing need.  RAS is a collaborative project between the Department, local authorities, the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Health Service Executive Community Welfare Service.
 
One of the main features of the scheme is that local authorities in sourcing accommodation for these households make use of the private and voluntary sector and enter into contractual arrangements to secure medium to long-term availability of rented accommodation.

The general way RAS works:

  • The local authority pays the full rent to the accommodation providers on behalf of the tenant.
  • The landlord must be tax compliant and produce a Tax Clearance certificate from Revenue Commissioners.
  • The property must meet minimum standards for private rental accommodation.
  • The landlord must register the tenancy with the Private Residential Tenancies Board.
  • The Accommodation sourced may be the rent supplement recipients existing accommodation but where this is not suitable or where the landlord is unwilling to enter into RAS the local authority sources alternative accommodation. Pending the above, rent supplement continues to be available subject to the tenant continuing to qualify for rent supplement.

One of the main benefits of RAS is the elimination of poverty traps – as it helps to provide the necessary springboard to accessing employment, training or education opportunities which may lead to broader accommodation options in the future. Tenants can stay in the scheme upon taking up full time employment unlike rent supplementation. As the tenant’s income increases a higher contribution towards the rent will be sought.

 
Other benefits of RAS

  • Provision of an additional source of good quality rented accommodation;
  • Greater housing security for persons with long-term housing need;
  • Reduced  dependency on the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme;
  • Contributing to the attainment of greater value for money for the State in the provision of long-term accommodation solutions;
  • Improved tenant choice and access to a wider range of housing supports in both the social housing and private housing sectors;
  • Promotion of higher standards of accommodation in the private rented sector.


Further Information


The Leaflet for Recipients of Rent Supplement and the Information Leaflet for Landlords, Accommodation Providers and Agents are available in the Publications and Documents area on the right of this page.

Contact details for the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS)


Anybody seeking additional information on the scheme to that provided on this website should use the contact details follow.


1. RAS Contacts in Local Authorities

Carlow Co. Cl, Anselm McGowan, Telephone 059/9170369
Email amcgowan@carlowcoco.ie

Cavan Co. Cl,. Anthony Brady, Telephone 049/4378327
Email anthonybrady@cavancoco.ie 

Clare Co. Cl.,
Landlords:  Madeleine McCarthy, Telephone 065/6846551
Email mmccarthy@clarecoco.ie
Tenants:   May Finucane, Telephone 065/6846553,
Email mfinucane@clarecoco.ie 

Cork City Cl., Ger Cummins, Telephone 021/4924244,
Email ger_cummins@corkcity.ie 

Cork Co. Cl. (North), Karen Higgins, Telephone 022/30424,
Email karen.higgins@corkcoco.ie

Cork Co. Cl. (South), John Fitzgerald, Telephone 021/4285101,
Email john.fitzgerald@corkcoco.ie

Cork Co. Cl. (West), Kate Coveney, Telephone 023/8863721
Email kate.coveney@corkcoco.ie
 
Donegal Co. Cl., Eugene Bonner, Telephone 074/9172353,
Email ebonner@donegalcoco.ie

Dublin City Cl.   

Landlords: Alan Flynn,   Tel. 01/2225353 Email alan.flynn@dublincity.ie
                 Stephen Shannon, Tel. 01/2225320 Email stephen.shannon@dublincity.ie
Tenants:    Ciara McDermott, Tel. 01/2225004 Email ciara.mcdermott@dublincity.ie
                 Eoin Carey, Tel. 01/2225477   Email eoin.carey@dublincity.ie

Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown Co.Cl., Sue McMahon,  Telephone 01/2047012
Email smcmahon@dlrcoco.ie

Fingal Co. Cl., Rita Sheils, Telephone 01/8708472,
Email rita.sheils@fingalcoco.ie
 
Galway City. Cl., Patrick Foley, Telephone 091/8905477
Email patrick.foley@galwaycity.ie

Galway Co. Cl., Edel Hourigan, Telephone 091/509293,
Email ehouriga@galwaycoco.ie
 
Kerry Co. Cl., Sara Ronan, Telephone 066/7183542,
Email sarah.ronan@kerrycoco.ie 

Kildare Co. Cl., Mark McLoughlin, Telephone 045/980709,
Email mmcloughlin@kildarecoco.ie
 
Kilkenny Co. Cl., Annette Fitzpatrick, Telephone 056/7794942,
Email annette.fitzpatrick@kilkennycoco.ie
 
Laois Co. Cl., Brenda Earl, Clare Gorman, Telephone 057/8664082, 057/8664213
Email brenda@laoiscoco.ie, clgorman@laoiscoco.ie
 
Leitrim Co. Cl., Ann Moran, Telephone 071/9620005 Ext.166,
Email annmoran@leitrimcoco.ie
 
Limerick City Cl., Audrey Crowe, Telephone 061/407342
acrowe@limerickcity.ie
 
Limerick Co. Cl., Mark Leahy, Telephone 061/496475,
Email mleahy@limerickcoco.ie
 
Longford Co. Cl., Ray Murphy, Telephone 043/3343366,
Email rmurphy@longfordcoco.ie
 
Louth Co. Cl., Kathleen Birch, Telephone 042/9324137,
Email kathleen.birch@louthcoco.ie

Mayo Co. Cl., Patsy McNulty, Telephone 098/50414,
Email pmcnulty@mayococo.ie
 
Meath Co. Cl., Jim White, Telephone 046/9097275,
Email jwhite@meathcoco.ie
 
Monaghan Co. Cl., Mary O’Connor, Telephone 047/73705,
Email moconnor@monaghancoco.ie
 
North Tipperary Co Cl., P.J. Corrigan, Telephone 067/44864,
Email pjcorrig@northtippcoco.ie
 
Offaly Co. Cl., Caroline Dempsey, Telephone 057/9346800,
Email cdempsey@offalycoco.ie

Roscommon Co. Cl., Catherine Finlay, Telephone 090/6637242
Email cfinlay@roscommoncoco.ie
 
Sligo Co. Cl., Kathleen Kane, Telephone 071/9114407,
Email kkane@sligococo.ie

South Dublin Co. Cl., Breda Fogarty, Telephone 01/4149358,
Email bfogarty@sdublincoco.ie
 
Sth Tipperary Co. Cl, Sean Lonergan, Telephone 052/6134661,
Email sean.lonergan@southtippcoco.ie
 
Waterford City Cl.,
Caroline Reid O'Brien, Telephone 051/849511, Email creidobrien@waterfordcity.ie
Roisin Doherty, Telephone 051/849878, Email:  rdoherty@waterfordcity.ie
 
Waterford Co. Cl.,
Catherine O’Brien, Telephone 058/21108,
Email Catherine.obrien@waterfordcoco.ie 

Westmeath Co. Cl., Gerry McCormack, Telephone 044/9332163,
Email gmccorma@westmeathcoco.ie
 
Wexford Co. Cl., Noel Stacey, Telephone 05391/76472,
 Email noel.stacey@wexfordcoco.ie
 
Wicklow Co. Cl., Siobhan O'Brien, Telephone 0404/20120 Ext.2354,
Email sobrien@wicklowcoco.ie
 

2. RAS Programme Managers

Programme Managers have been appointed to co-ordinate the scheme in local authorities throughout the country. The areas for which they are responsible are set out below.

Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Meath, Sligo.
Programme Manager - Bridie McBrearty, email bmcbrty@donegalcoco.ie
 Tel. No. 074/9724414

Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Nth Tipperary, Offaly, Westmeath.
Programme Manager - James Hogan, email jhogan@offalycoco.ie
Tel. No. 057/9346875

Dublin City, Louth.
Programme Manager – John MacEvilly email John.MacEvilly@dublincity.ie
Tel. No.  01/2225440

Fingal, Dun Laoghaire, Fingal, Kildare, South Dublin, Wicklow.
Programme Manager - Mick Fagan, email mfagan@sdublincoco.ie
Tel. No. 01 4149186

Clare, Galway City, Galway County, Mayo, Roscommon, Clare.
Programme Manager - Patrick Foley, email Patrick.foley@galwaycity.ie
Tel. No. 091/536550

Cork City, Cork County Council (North, South, West), Kerry, Limerick City.
Programme Manager -   currently vacant 

Limerick County, South Tipperary, Waterford City, Waterford County, Wexford.
Programme Manager - Michael Fitzgerald, email - Michael.Fitzgerald@southtippcoco.ie Tel. No. 052/6134833


3. RAS General Policy

For any queries on general policy issues please contact the Department at ras@environ.ie

 

 

 

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