Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2023
812. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm whether any new guidance has been issued by his Department to local authorities for the purposes of setting updated schemes of letting; and if so, to explain what 'not reasonably able to meet the cost of the accommodation which they are occupying' means in the updates scheme of lettings; and how this reasonableness test is assessed. [37199/23]
View answerThe allocation of local authority dwellings, including the prioritisation of certain households, is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011. This legislation 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.
My Department has not issued any new guidance to local authorities for the purposes of updating their allocation schemes as referred to in the Question.
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.
As the making of an allocation scheme is a reserved function of the elected members, accordingly each authority’s scheme will have a different emphasis when it comes to the categories prioritised and the weighting given.
