Vol. 540 No. 1
348 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if local authorities are required to operate a points system for the allocation of houses; if he has issued a directive or guideline on the subject; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20146/01]
Local authorities are responsible, under section 11 of the Housing Act, 1988, for making schemes of letting priorities to determine the order of priority to be afforded to applicants in the letting of dwellings provided by the authority. The order of priority of different categories of persons in a scheme of letting priorities and other details of a scheme are a matter for each local authority.
Guidelines which issued when section 11 was first introduced indicated that the aim of a scheme of letting priorities should be to promote equality of opportunity in getting access to local authority housing based on relative housing needs to ensure that a dwelling, if suitable, is let to the person in greatest need and to ensure that no category of needy persons is at a permanent disadvantage vis-à-vis other categories. The making of a scheme of letting priorities, or any amendment to it, is subject to ministerial approval to ensure that the adopted scheme is in accordance with statutory requirements and that all categories of need specified in section 9(2) of the Housing Act, 1988, are covered by the scheme.
There was a proposal a number of years ago to introduce formal points-based systems for all local authority schemes of letting priorities. However some local authorities were opposed to the introduction of such a system as being unduly cumbersome – particularly where applicants could opt for a wide range of alternative areas – staff intensive and potentially divisive.
