Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 March 2022
234. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the carer’s allowance is being considered as part of the income of a person (details supplied) when calculating rent for a local authority property in County Tipperary; his views on whether it is acceptable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12328/22]
View answerThe right of local authorities to set and collect rents on their dwellings is set out in section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.
Subject to broad principles set out by my Department, including that rent levels should be income-based and reflect tenants’ ability to pay, the making or amending of such rent schemes is a local authority executive function. Accordingly, decisions regarding the amount of rent charged and the type of household income that is reckonable or disregarded for rent purposes under each rent scheme is a matter solely for the respective local authorities. This includes the treatment of different allowances, such as carer's allowance, which can vary from one local authority to another, and my Department has no role in this regard.
