Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 July 2012
424 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if an unemployed person who owns a house that is in negative equity and that has been rented out in order to cover the mortgage repayments will be accepted on to the housing list in order to be able to access rent allowance to help with paying their rent in the house that they rent privately. [32262/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe primary purpose of social housing support is to ensure that persons and families who do not have sufficient resources to provide accommodation themselves to meet their needs are provided with adequate housing for their needs. Regulation 22 of Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 provides that an applicant household for long-term social housing support is ineligible for social housing support if a household member owns alternative accommodation that could meet their needs, either through occupation or through the proceeds of selling that accommodation.
425 Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on introducing a wage threshold for those in council housing whereby those earning a higher wage would no longer be able to avail of council housing. [32286/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraSections of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009 dealing with social housing support, and the related Social Housing Assessment Regulations, 2011, were commenced on 1 April 2011. The Regulations contain national eligibility criteria, including maximum income limits, for persons applying for social housing.
Households in receipt of social housing support are not required to have their income assessed in order to continue to receive social housing support. Where household income increases this is taken into account in determining the relevant differential rent.
