Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 January 2018
352. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of persons waiting on social housing lists; if his Department has carried out an analysis of the impact on this list from an increase in repossessions; the estimated impact on the numbers waiting for social housing if repossessions increased by 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2484/18]
View answerThe most recently published statutory summary of social housing assessments relates to the assessment carried out in 2016. This summary is a record of the number of households on all local authority waiting lists, as at 21 September 2016. The results of the 2016 summary show that there were 91,600 households deemed qualified for, and in need of social housing support. The 2016 results provide a breakdown by each local authority across a range of categories.
Full details in relation to the 2016 assessment are available on my Department's website, at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/summary_of_social_housing_assessments_2016.pdf
Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions. Accordingly, the day-to-day operation of the social housing system is a matter for the relevant local authority.
My Department has not carried out an analysis of the type set out by the Deputy. However, an increased national social housing target of 50,000 homes has been set under Rebuilding Ireland and I will be discussing this heightened target at a Housing Summit I am holding with the local authority Chief Executives next week. I recently wrote to each local authority setting out their respective social housing delivery targets out to 2021. These targets are based on their housing need, as identified through the 2017 assessment, which I expect to be published shortly. This is the fairest and most objective basis for target setting.
The delivery targets I have set for local authorities out to 2021 are based on current housing need. It is acknowledged that future annualised assessments may see individual local authorities housing need numbers rising, or falling, for a variety of reasons. The targets have been set in such a way as to be able to respond to such an eventuality over the course of the period covered by Rebuilding Ireland. Within the suite of social housing solutions is the Mortgage to Rent Scheme, which is specifically targeted at households in unsustainable mortgage situations, and which can be deployed by local authorities as a response to potential repossession situations, where appropriate.
