Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 January 2021
137. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to address the difficulties that social housing tenants encounter when seeking an inter-council housing transfer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3365/21]
View answerThe oversight and practical management of social 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.
Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 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. Ultimately, it is a matter for the local authority to decide the conditions to be met in relation to transfer applications.
All four Dublin authorities have provisions in their allocation schemes for inter authority/mutual transfers for sitting tenants whereby the authority is prepared to accommodate applications for inter authority/mutual transfers provided certain criteria are met. All four Dublin authorities also make provision in their allocation schemes for households wishing to move to a home more suitable to their household needs. Similar arrangements apply in the two Cork and two Galway local authorities.
It is also already possible for households to move and relocate between local authority areas under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme where the household income is within the appropriate income limits. Guidelines on inter-authority movement were introduced in 2017 to allow for local authorities to facilitate movement of HAP households from one local authority area to another in cases where a HAP tenant, currently on a local authority waiting list, wishes to access rented accommodation with HAP support in another local authority area.
HAP tenants continue to be dealt with by their originating local authority. However, the rent limits will be those that apply in the local authority where the property is situated. The originating local authority will engage with the relevant new local authority to facilitate eligible requests for inter-authority movement.
Furthermore, the Programme for Government provides for a package of social housing reforms, including the introduction of a social housing passport to allow households move from one local authority list to another. The issue of providing for wider tenancy movements is being examined and I will look at proposals in relation to such wider movement along with the other reform package measures.
