Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2012
80. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the plans of Dublin City Council to move away from the points system for social housing prioritisation; his plans to implement a national model for assessment of housing need and the prioritisation of that need based on international best practice. [39069/12]
View answerUnder Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 all housing authorities are required to make an allocation scheme (in place of a scheme of letting priorities) for social housing. The making and amendment of such an allocation scheme is a reserved function of the elected members of each housing authority. The Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011, which came into effect on 1 May 2011, set out the conditions that housing authorities must take into account when making their allocation schemes. Guidance on the making of allocation schemes has issued both from my Department and the Housing Agency. This guidance is available on the Housing Agency’s website (www.housing.ie).
Sections of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 dealing with social housing support, and related Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, were commenced on 1 April 2011. The Regulations contain national eligibility criteria. These mandatory criteria must be applied by all housing authorities in assessing a household’s eligibility for social housing support. Notwithstanding the above, and as part of the programme of social housing reform which I am advancing, I am reviewing the operation of both the allocations policy and the implementation of the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011. The review of the assessment Regulations is nearing completion and I expect that amended Regulations and guidance will be provided to housing authorities shortly.
