Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 December 2022
32. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the changes that are being proposed to the income limits for eligibility for approval on local authority housing lists; the dates when these income limits were last set; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59622/22]
View answer36. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the discussions that he has had with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in view of the review that is being carried out by his Department concerning income limits for social housing, given the potential impact on the public finances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56462/22]
View answer37. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if changes to income limits for social housing will be backdated; if anyone removed from the list in that period will have their years on the list restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59785/22]
View answer39. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the up-to-date position on the review that is being carried out of the income limits for social housing by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58976/22]
View answer41. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will announce new income limits for social housing applications; if he will provide for discretion on compassionate grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59758/22]
View answer49. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration will be given to increasing the income thresholds for families wishing to apply for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59146/22]
View answer69. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when income eligibility limits for social housing will be increased in counties Cavan and Monaghan given that existing limits are low at present and are unrealistic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59575/22]
View answer201. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review the income thresholds for social housing for Mayo County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56923/22]
View answer202. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the intended timeframe in which he intends to bring forward proposals to extend the eligibility applicable to local authorities regarding housing supports. [56643/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 32, 36, 37, 39, 41, 49, 69, 201 and 202 together.
The social housing income eligibility bands, the respective thresholds, and the local authorities assigned to each band were introduced in 2011. They were developed with reference to the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs, plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country, at that time.
Notwithstanding an increase in the thresholds for a small number of local authorities in October 2022, the thresholds have remained largely unchanged since 2011. In the meantime, accommodation costs have increased significantly nationwide.
It is for this reason Government recently agreed to increase the baseline income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds will increase to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively, and an estimated 16,000 additional households will likely be eligible for social housing support as a result. While local authorities have no scope to exceed these thresholds, they will continue to have flexibility when assessing eligibility to disregard income that is once-off, temporary or short-term and which is outside the regular pattern of a person’s annual income.
I am keen that those households, which may recently have been deemed not to qualify upon reassessment but would have qualified if the new thresholds had been in place, can retain time previously spent on the list. My Department is currently exploring the feasibility such arrangements under the current legislation and will provide guidance to local authorities on the matter in due course.
My Department has also recently begun work to develop a new social housing income eligibility model and I expect proposals for a new model to be submitted for my consideration in Q1 2023. The Department has formally consulted with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the project’s terms of reference, which include examining the consequences for the Exchequer of amending the thresholds. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will continue to input to this work as it progresses and is represented on the steering group established to oversee the project.
