Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 February 2014
483. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will commit to providing a regular update to the Houses of the Oireachtas on the number of people on housing waiting lists here and his Department's progress in tackling these numbers; if he will not make this commitment, the rationale for this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5615/14]
View answerIn accordance with section 21 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, housing authorities are required, in specified circumstances or as the Minister may from time to time direct, to prepare a summary of the social housing assessments carried out in their administrative areas. In February, 2013, I directed all housing authorities to provide a summary report of their social housing assessments as at 7 May 2013. This exercise involved each authority reviewing the continuing qualification for social housing support of all households entered on its waiting list and summarising the details of households on the updated waiting list. I published the overall results of the summary in December 2013 and these are available on my Department’s website and that of the Housing Agency .
Traditionally, the number of households on local authority waiting lists is collected nationally every 3 years. Consideration will be given on an on-going basis to whether the national summaries should be prepared within a shorter time period, having regard to the on-going response to housing need and whether any future changes to the social housing assessment process may require further review by authorities of the continuing qualification for social housing support of all households entered on their waiting lists.
