Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 May 2000

Vol. 520 No. 1

Written Answers. - Local Authority Housing.

David Stanton

Question:

245 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will state with reference to the 1999 annual report of the Ombudsman, the local authorities which are implementing the requirement provided for in the contents of a 1993 circular from his Department which provided that local authorities should have all their approved housing applicants listed in order of priority and be in position to advise any applicant, accordingly, of their position on the list; the action, if any, he will take in order to ensure compliance with the circular; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15673/00]

David Stanton

Question:

277 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that all local authorities are complying with a 1993 circular from his Department, as mentioned in the most recent annual report of the Ombudsman, that housing authorities should have all their approved housing applicants listed in priority and be in a position to advise any applicant accordingly of their position on the list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15392/00]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 245 and 277 together.

Local authorities are responsible under section 11 of the Housing Act, 1988, for making schemes of letting priorities to determine the order of priority to be afforded to applicants in the letting of dwellings provided by the authority. The making or amendment of a scheme is a reserved function of the elected members of an authority and the letting of houses in accordance with the scheme is an executive function performable by the manager. The making or amendment of a scheme is subject to ministerial approval to ensure that an adopted scheme is in accordance with statutory requirements and that all categories of need specified in section 9(2) of the Act are covered by the scheme.

The order of priority of different categories of persons in a scheme of letting priorities and other details of a scheme are a matter for each local authority. The guidelines issued by my Department to local authorities subsequent to the passing of the 1988 Act advised that it should be the aim of a scheme of letting priorities to promote equality of opportunity in getting access to local authority housing based on relative housing needs to ensure a dwelling, if suitable, is let to the person in greatest need and to ensure that no category of needy persons is at a permanent disadvantage vis-à-vis other categories.

While the Department's circular to local authorities in September 1993 requested authorities to review their schemes to allow all of their approved housing applicants to be listed in order of priority, a number of local authorities responded by indicating that they did not operate a rigid points system which would allow strict relative priorities to be afforded in respect of each applicant and in respect of each area of the authority in which the applicant might be seeking housing. In addition, the circumstances of applicants on the housing lists were subject to change which, in some circumstances, could be significant. In particular, the local authorities were concerned where an applicants housing priority was reduced because of new applicants accepted on to the waiting list as being in greater housing need and existing schemes of letting priorities continued to remain in force.

A number of local authorities have recently submitted revised letting schemes incorporating points systems for my approval and these are being examined in the Department. Having regard to the primarily responsibility of local authorities for assessing and responding to housing need it remains a matter for each authority to determine whether their letting priorities scheme should incorporate a points scheme. I do not propose to direct local authorities to introduce a points system in their schemes.