Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 3 Feb 1998

Vol. 486 No. 3

Written Answers. - Local Authority Rents.

Proinsias De Rossa

Question:

60 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will confirm that it is the policy of his Department that a family income supplement should not be regarded as income when assessing liability for local authority rent; the steps, if any, his Department has taken to convey this to local authorities in view of the fact that a number of councils are including family income supplement when deciding rent levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20466/97]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

Local authorities are responsible, as an integral part of their housing management functions, for the determination of the rents of their dwellings and for decisions on the types of income to be taken into account in the assessment of rents. I have no proposals to change these arrangements which are in keeping with Government policy of maximum devolution of functions to local authorities.