Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
620. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if departmental guidelines permit Wicklow local authorities to operate two separate differential rent schemes in one local authority area; if other local authorities are operating similar schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14172/21]
View answerThe right of local authorities to set and collect rents on their dwellings is laid down in section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of such schemes is an executive function and is subject to broad principles set out by the Department, including that rent levels should be based on income and reflect tenants’ ability to pay.
Some local authorities retained the separate differential rent schemes operated by Town Councils after the abolition of Town Councils under the Local Government Reform Act 2014. Most of these schemes have been phased out by the local authorities in the interim period, with the sole exception of the separate scheme operated by Wicklow County Council in respect of the former Bray Town Council area.
