Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 5

Written Answers. - Local Authority Housing.

Noel O'Flynn

Question:

367 Mr. O'Flynn asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will seek to amend the Housing Act, 1966, as a matter of urgency to have specific and much wider guidelines regarding the standards to be met by local authorities when allocating new and existing housing units to prospective tenants. [25196/01]

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

It is assumed that the question refers to the scheme of letting priorities which determines the relative priority to be afforded by local authorities when allocating new and existing dwellings to applicants for housing.

The making or amendment of a scheme of letting priorities is, under section 11 of the Housing Act, 1988, a reserved function of the elected members of the authority and 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 1988 Act are covered by the scheme. The order of priority of different categories of persons to be set in a scheme of letting priorities and the other detailed contents of a scheme are entirely a matter for decision by the local authority.

Local authorities were advised, in guidelines issued by my Department subsequent to the passing of the 1988 Act, 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 that a dwelling, if suitable, is let to the person in greatest need and to ensure that no category of persons in housing need is at a permanent disadvantagevis á vis other categories. I have no proposals to alter the present assignment of responsibilities to local authorities in making schemes of letting priorities.