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Social and Affordable Housing Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 February 2019

Wednesday, 20 February 2019

Ceisteanna (50, 51)

Niamh Smyth

Ceist:

50. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the progress being made on reducing the social housing waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8196/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

51. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of houses allocated to families on the various local authority housing lists in the course of 2018; the expectation in this regard in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8432/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 51 together.

Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are provided in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments, an exercise which has been carried out on an annual basis since 2016. 

The 2018 assessment shows that 71,858 households were assessed as qualified and being in need of social housing support. This represents a decrease of 13,941 households or 16.2% on the last assessment in June 2017. Indeed, since the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan was launched in 2016, the numbers have decreased from 91,600 to 71,858, a reduction of 22%.

In terms of meeting the need of households on waiting lists, Rebuilding Ireland provides for a total of 50,000 social housing homes to be delivered through build, acquisition and leasing programmes and 87,000 additional households to be supported through the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme and the Rental Accommodation Scheme, over the 6 year period 2016 to 2021.  At end December 2018, over 72,000 households had their social housing need met, representing 53% of the overall Rebuilding Ireland target.

In 2019, funding of €2.4 billion is being provided for the delivery of housing programmes, which will allow for the housing needs of almost 27,400 households to be met.  By end 2019, it is anticipated that approximately 100,000 families and individuals will have had their housing needs met through programmes funded under Rebuilding Ireland.

My Department engages with all local authorities on a regular basis regarding the delivery of social housing. I am confident that the actions, targets and resources available to all local authorities under Rebuilding Ireland provide a strong platform for meeting our challenges in the housing sector and continuing to reduce the number of households on waiting lists.

While my Department reports quarterly on the number of social housing supports delivered through the range of Government funded schemes, this does not take account of other households that may have  been housed by local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies through, for example,  routine re-lettings.  Indeed, the allocation of social housing support is a matter for each individual local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations. Section 22 of the 2009 Act 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.

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