Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 April 2017
286. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of applicants for social housing, per dwelling type, for the four Dublin local authorities; the average waiting times to be housed; if this information will be included in the statistics section of his Department's website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17516/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra287. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of applicants on the social housing transfer list, per dwelling type, for the four Dublin local authorities; the average waiting times to be transferred; if this information will be included in the statistics section of his Department's website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17517/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra288. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of applicants with priority for social housing, per dwelling type, for the four Dublin local authorities; the average waiting times to be housed; if this information will be included in the statistics section of his Department's website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17518/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to answer Questions Nos. 286 to 288, inclusive, together.
The results of the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments carried out as at 21 September 2016 provide details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each housing authority and whose housing need was not being met on that date.
The 2016 results provide a breakdown by each housing authority across a range of categories, including by household composition and length of time spent by households on the record of qualified households. The results are available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/summary_of_social_housing_assessments_2016.pdf
Based on the results from the 2016 Summary, the average times spent, in terms of the median and mean values, by households on the record of qualified households as at 21 September 2016 are as follows:
|
Housing Authority |
Mean time spent on List |
Median time spent on list |
|
Dublin City Council |
5 years |
4 years & 4 months |
|
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council |
5 years & 1 month |
4 years & 5 months |
|
Fingal County Council |
5 years & 1 month |
5 years & 1 month |
|
South Dublin County Council |
4 years & 10 months |
4 years & 8 months |
|
All Housing Authorities |
4 years & 5 months |
3 years & 9 months |
The Summary of Social Housing Assessments is now being undertaken on an annual basis and my Department will consider publication of data on average waiting times as part of the summary process in the future.
My Department does not hold the information sought on the number of households on local authorities’ housing transfer lists or on the priority awarded to qualified households. The management of transfer lists is a matter for individual housing authorities and the numbers fluctuate continually as, for example, households are granted transfers in accordance with an authority’s allocation scheme to take up other accommodation options.
Decisions as to the priority to be awarded to individual households in the allocation of dwellings are a matter for the housing authority concerned, having regard to section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011. This legislation requires all housing 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 in receipt of such support that have been approved for a transfer to another dwelling provided by a local authority or approved housing body.
