Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2019
1146. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of applicants on the local authority housing list in an area (details supplied) in each of the past five years by area; the number of applicants housed in the same period; the number of new projected housing builds in the planning stage for the local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44807/19]
View answerDetails on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The SSHA has been conducted on an annual basis since 2016, prior to which it was carried out once every three years, with the last Summary under this approach having taken place in 2013.
My Department is currently finalising the 2019 summary with the Housing Agency and I expect to be in a position to publish the full detailed report shortly.
Below are links to the summary reports for 2016, 2017 and 2018 which contain data broken down for the 31 local authority areas. SSHA data is collected and collated at Local Authority level and therefore a breakdown of the numbers by electoral area cannot be provided.
Report 2016
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/summary_of_social_housing_assessments_2016.pdf.
Report 2017
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/sha_summary_2017.pdf.
Report 2018
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/summary_of_social_housing_assessments_2018_-_key_findings.pdf.
As there was no SSHA carried out in either 2014 or 2015 my Department does not have data for those years.
It should be noted that the SSHA is a point in time snapshot of the demand for social housing support in each local authority area and does not necessarily reflect the dynamic nature of entry to and exit from the housing waiting lists.
The allocation of social housing support is a matter for each individual 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.
My Department does not hold information on the number of applicants housed in the specific area referred to in the Question.
In relation to new projected housing builds in the planning stage, overall planning statistics are collated and available on my Department’s website at this link:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/planning/statistics/planning-statistics-1.
In most cases local authorities use the Part 8 process for local authority own development, which is not a planning application, and data on Part 8 cases is not collated in the planning statistics as these applications are a matter for each relevant local authority.
Construction projects listed in the Social Housing Construction Status Report include projects which are both within and outside the Part 8 process. Non-part 8 projects include those being advanced by Approved Housing Bodies and projects by private developers that are being secured on a turn-key basis by local authorities.
The latest Construction status report, which relates to the position at end Q2 2019, is available at the following link:
https://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-social-housing-construction-status-report-for-q2-2019-2/.
