Skip to main content
Normal View

Local Authority Housing

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 January 2018

Tuesday, 30 January 2018

Questions (646)

Aindrias Moynihan

Question:

646. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his Department maintains contact with the various local authorities operating the choice-based letting system regarding the performance of the system; and if so, the frequency with which information is exchanged between each local authority and his department. [4488/18]

View answer

Written answers

The allocation of social housing support is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations.

Section 22 of the 2009 Act requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of dwellings to households qualified for social housing support and to households approved for a transfer, the allocation of which would, in the opinion of the authority, meet the accommodation needs and requirements of the households.

On 30 September 2016, the Social Housing Allocation (Amendment) Regulations 2016 were made, which required all local authorities, if they had not already done so, to provide for Choice Based Letting (CBL) as a method of allocation in their housing allocation schemes by 31 December 2016. Where a local authority, having included a provision on CBL in its allocation scheme, decides to operate a CBL scheme, it must implement it in accordance with Regulations 6 - 11 of the Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011 (as amended). Decisions on which properties are to be included under a CBL scheme is a matter for individual authorities.

My Department is committed to monitoring the roll-out of CBL across all Local Authorities, and undertook a survey in the last quarter of 2017 to determine the uptake and impact of CBL. Of the local authorities who have implemented it, the majority said that CBL has had a positive impact on how they allocate dwellings.

16 local authorities indicated that they are currently operating a choice based lettings model as part of their allocation scheme. A further 2 have indicated their intention to implement a pilot CBL scheme in the near future.

My Department will continue to liaise with local authorities during 2018 with a view to ensuring that CBL is implemented, as widely as possible, across the country.

Top
Share