Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 February 2022
341. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there is a provision for a situation in which a perpetrator against whom a safety order limits proximity to a person (details supplied) is forced to reside under the set distance prescribed by the safety order; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8287/22]
View answerAll social housing support recipients can submit an application for a transfer, including from one form of support to another, for example from RAS to social housing, or from one local authority dwelling to another.
Requests for housing transfers are considered solely by the relevant local authority concerned in accordance with that authority’s allocation scheme, which is made by the elected members under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and in compliance with Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011.
It is the local authority which assesses housing applicants, taking into account factors such as the condition and affordability of existing accommodation, medical and compassionate grounds, etc. The authority then prioritises the needs of approved applicants in accordance with its allocation scheme. Allocation schemes may also contain provisions for exceptional or emergency cases, allowing immediate housing outside of normal waiting list priorities, should circumstances warrant it.
Ultimately, it is a matter for the local authority to decide the conditions to be met in relation to transfer applications. Each application must be considered on its own merits and the individual circumstances taken into account. As Minister I am precluded by housing legislation from intervening in relation to the procedures followed, or decisions made, by local authorities in the provision of social housing support in individual cases.
