Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 June 2021
110. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there can be interdepartmental coordination between his Department and the appropriate Department to prevent situations such as the case of a person (details supplied) occurring again; and if he will issue a policy directive or seek a bureaucratic solution that would prevent this from occurring again in the future. [32372/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra122. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports that are available for a person (details supplied) who has been on a waiting list for local authority housing for 17 years. [32324/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 122 together.
Applications 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.
If a household meets the eligibility and need criteria, it qualifies for the suite of social housing supports, including HAP, and is placed on the housing list to be considered for the allocation of suitable tenancies in accordance with the authority’s allocation scheme. It is a matter for the local authority to determine the most appropriate form of social housing support for that household in the administrative area of that local authority.
The allocation of local authority dwellings, including the prioritisation of certain households, is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. This legislation 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.
It is the local authority which assesses housing applicants, taking into account factors such as the condition and affordability of existing accommodation, medical and compassionate grounds, etc. The authority then prioritises the needs of approved applicants in accordance with its allocation scheme.
Decisions on the allocation of social housing support are a matter solely for the local authority concerned. Each application must be considered on its own merits and the individual circumstances taken into account.
As Minister I am precluded by housing legislation from intervening in relation to the procedures followed, or decisions made, by local authorities in the provision of social housing support in individual cases.
Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence rests with my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and I understand that the delivery of these services is managed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.
In terms of housing services, in 2017, my Department issued policy and procedural guidance to local authorities relating to the role they can play to assist victims of domestic violence. The guidance is also a useful reference for service providers working in the sector, highlighting where they can be of greatest assistance to their clients, covering a range of scenarios that may arise for victims of domestic violence currently in receipt of social housing support and those seeking social housing supports. These include provisions whereby a household may transfer out of their existing tenancy and into a new tenancy agreement with the local authority or they may access an independent tenancy in the private rented sector utilising the various housing supports offered by the State.
