Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 January 2014
484. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide the most up-to-date figures relating to the number of persons on local housing authority waiting lists, broken down by local authority, age profile, gender and family status of applicants for each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2073/14]
View answer496. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of people and families currently on local authority housing lists by local authority; the way in which these numbers compare with numbers from five years ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1046/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 484 and 496 together.
The results of the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments carried out in 2013 were published last month which showed that there were 89,872 households on local authority waiting lists as at 7 May, 2013 . The summary involved the submission by all authorities of details on the number of households on their waiting lists at this date. This is the most up-to-date figure available on waiting list numbers, which is subject to on-going fluctuation due to households being allocated housing and new households applying for housing support since May, 2013.
The assessment carried out as at 31 March 2008 recorded 56,249 households on local authority waiting lists while on 31 March 2011 98,318 households were recorded . However, these results cannot be directly compared to the 2013 results given that this latest summary employed different methodologies and was the first to be carried out under the 2011 Social Housing Assessment Regulations.
My Department will engage with the Housing Agency and local authorities in terms of carrying out further detailed analyses of the findings so as to help address the housing need identified in the most recent assessment.
The results of the 2013 summary, including breakdowns by each local authority across a range of categories , such as the age profile and composition of households , are available on my Department’s website at www.environ.ie and on the Housing Agency’s website at.
