Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 November 2023
159. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a person can be put on a local authority housing list in Ireland if they have a house in another EU Member State; and if local authorities check this fact. [50325/23]
View answerApplications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.
The 2011 Regulations, provide that a household shall be ineligible for social housing support if it has alternative accommodation that the household could reasonably be expected to use to meet its housing need, either by occupying it or by selling the accommodation and using the proceeds to secure suitable accommodation suitable for the household’s adequate housing. Therefore, Part 10 of the prescribed Social Housing Application form seeks information from applicants on whether any member of the household currently owns or has a financial interest in any property in the State or any other country and this applies to all applicants for social housing support.
Decisions on the qualification of specific persons for social housing support, the most appropriate form of any such support, and the allocation of that support are a matter solely for the local authority concerned.
