Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2020
888. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if consideration will be given for the time garnered as a qualified household on a housing list to be transferred from one housing authority to another within the same region and-or county (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12161/20]
View answerThe oversight and management of housing waiting lists, including the allocation and transfer of tenancies, is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations.
In accordance with Regulation 5 of the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended, a household may apply for social housing support to one local authority only, which may be the authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which it has a local connection, or the authority that agrees, at its discretion, to assess the household for support.
It is not generally possible for a household on the waiting list of one housing authority to transfer its application to another authority and to carry the time spent on the previous list. However, households in Cork, Limerick, Waterford or Galway may apply for areas of choice in the city and/or county area and likewise for households in the county area. Households in Dublin can also apply for an area of choice in one of the other Dublin local authority areas. It should be noted that up to a maximum of three areas may be selected, one of which must be in the administrative area of the authority to which the household is applying.
Accordingly, under existing arrangements, a household that applies, for example, to Cork City Council, can, if qualified for support and should they choose to do so, be entered on the waiting list of Cork County Council. Where a county area is specified, this is dependent on that household not exceeding the maximum net income threshold for the county area.
My Department is looking at the possibility of widening the ability of social housing applicants to apply to additional local authorities and has already provided for mobility for those who elect to avail of Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) as they can source accommodation through HAP in any local authority area if their income is below the social housing income limit for the area concerned. The original local authority will engage with the relevant new local authority to facilitate eligible requests for HAP inter-authority movement.
