Daughter forced to leave education to support family as HAP ‘not helping’, Meath councillor says
Concerns have been raised about the lack of discretion in the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme and rising levels of homelessness in Meath.
At the March meeting of Meath County Council, Independent councillor Nick Killian said some households in the county are struggling to access HAP support despite facing significant rental costs.
The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a social housing support provided by local authorities that helps people with their rent in the private market.
Cllr Killian said he wanted to highlight the rules surrounding the scheme and what he described as a lack of flexibility for families facing difficult circumstances.
He gave the example of one family paying €2,450 per month for a three-bedroom house but who were not eligible for HAP support.
“The father unfortunately died and there is a mother and three children,” he said.
“The sad part of this is that one of the daughters was in full-time education and had to leave her education and take a job in a nursing home to help contribute towards the household.”
He also outlined the case of a single woman paying €1,200 in rent while living on a total income of €380 a week who, he said, was also not eligible for the housing support.
“The point I’m making is that there doesn’t seem to be any discretion with HAP,” Cllr Killian said.
“HAP has to be looked at. It is not helping anyone. This is not a criticism of Meath County Council — it’s the rules I’m talking about.”
Cllr Killian also highlighted ongoing concerns about homelessness in the county, telling members that despite efforts by Meath County Council to increase housing delivery, the numbers remain high.
The overall number of homeless households in Meath rose slightly from 271 in December 2025 to 275 at the end of January.
This includes 188 households of single adults and couples, comprising 194 adults, and 87 households with children, comprising 122 adults and 152 children.
Of the families with children, 76 were placed in short-term private rented accommodation through the council’s Settlement Team, while 11 families were housed in Family Hubs.
“The figures on homelessness are not going down in any way, shape or form,” he said.
The councillor added that he was particularly concerned about the number of people aged over 65 who are currently on the housing list, with some living in emergency accommodation.
He said this situation is often arising because landlords are selling properties and issuing notices to quit to long-term tenants.
“These are people who have been tenants for many years.”