Written Answers Nos. 513-532
513. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the queries raised in correspondence (details supplied) will be addressed; the status of the proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1180/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Planning and Development (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2018, which came into operation on 8 February 2018, provide for an exemption from the requirement to obtain planning permission in respect of the change of use of certain vacant commercial premises to residential use, including the conversion of vacant areas above ground floor commercial premises to residential use. This measure was aimed at facilitating the productive re-use of qualifying vacant commercial buildings as homes, while also facilitating urban renewal and the bringing on stream of increased housing supply. The original expiry date of the Regulations was 31 December 2021 which was subsequently extended to 25 February 2022 arising from the Covid-related shutdown of the planning system for 8 weeks during the period March to May 2020, which extended all planning timelines by 8 weeks.
The Regulations limited the number of housing units that could avail of the exemption to 9 having regard to the threshold that then applied to developments in relation to the Part V obligations for social housing, agreement on which is a normal part of the planning permission process for developments of 10 housing units or more. Exempting developments encompassing a higher number of housing units from the requirement to obtain planning permission would not be in line with proper planning and sustainable development.
The Government's recently published New Housing Plan for Ireland - Housing for All commits to reviewing and extending the 2018 regulations to the end of 2025. My Department is presently examining potential areas where the scope of the existing exempted development regulations might possibly be extended to include other forms of vacant commercial premises.
Under section 262(4) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, legislative proposals in relation to exempted development require the approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas before they can be signed into law. It is intended to submit draft regulations in this regard to the Oireachtas for approval shortly.
514. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the clarification sought by Donegal County Council from his Department in relation to proposed remedial works in the context of test results, geologist reports and engineer's reports will be forthcoming to allow stage 1 applications under the defective concrete blocks grant scheme to proceed. [1190/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department received correspondence from Donegal County Council, dated 6 December, 2021, in relation to reviewing the Administration of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme. A review of the submission is currently being undertaken by officials from my Department and a response will issue shortly to Donegal County Council.
Donegal and Mayo County Council have responsibility for the administration of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme. This includes the assessment of applications for eligibility and payment of grants to successful applicants under the specific remediation option approved.
Applications can continue to be made to local authorities in Mayo and Donegal and processed under the current Defective Concrete Block grant scheme, underpinned by the Dwellings Damaged by the Use Of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020, until the measures announced as a result of the Government decision on the 30th November are legislated for. Appropriate transitional provisions will be included in the new legislation to provide a mechanism to move applications that are received in the meantime to the revised scheme once it commences.
Separately, officials from my Department and the Housing Agency are meeting with officials from Donegal County Council on Thursday, 20 January to discuss issues arising in the context of the transition from the current DCB grant scheme to the newly enhanced scheme and the role of the Housing Agency in that regard.
515. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the review of income limits for social housing; and if this review will take place in 2022. [1199/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra564. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the review of income eligibility thresholds for social housing that according to Housing for All was to be completed in Q4 of 2021. [1987/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra597. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the income limits for social housing will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2247/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 515, 564 and 597 together.
Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland was published in September 2021 and, as part of a broad suite of social housing reforms, committed to reviewing income eligibility for social housing.
The review, which examined inter alia the efficiency of the current banding model and income limits applicable to local authorities, was completed in Q4, 2021.
516. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is reviewing the advice to local authorities with regard to the purchase of second-hand homes for social housing; and if he will consider allowing local authorities to purchase property that has a sitting tenant in receipt of housing assistant payment, HAP, rental accommodation scheme, RAS, or rent supplement in circumstances in which the tenant has received a notice to quit. [1211/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 'Housing for All' the Government's priority is to deliver 47,600 new build social homes over the next five years. Substantial funding is available to local authorities and AHBs to deliver on this objective as the primary means through which they will increasingly meet the needs of those on their waiting lists. I am also keen that local authorities and AHBs avoid competing with potential private purchasers for available properties.
Given the need to avoid competition and the focus of support on the build programme, I have asked local authorities to limit their acquisitions of privately owned properties, with approximately 200 acquisitions to be undertaken over this year under SHIP and CALF funding programmes.
It will be a matter for the local authorities themselves to decide their specific priority acquisitions, including notice to quit to sitting tenants incidents. I have asked that they have particular regard to the following areas:
- One-bedroom units to deliver on Housing First and meet the short supply in this category;
- Other properties that allow persons/families to move from homelessness;
- Specific housing required for individuals with a disability or other particular priority needs;
Any acquisition proposed must represent value for money per my Department’s acquisitions guidelines.
Local authorities also have the services of tenancy sustainment officers to intervene at the first response where landlords are selling a property rented to a person or a family in receipt of social housing supports. Limited acquisitions by AHBs through the Capital Assistance Scheme will also continue where they are focussed on priority situations including homelessness and housing for people with disability.
I hope that public representatives will support and promote their local authorities to undertake the necessary level of new build social housing to meet their social housing needs, in the knowledge that the funding is available to support them in this delivery.
517. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if funding will be provided to Tipperary County Council to repair a damaged weir on the River Suir at Loughmore, County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1243/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has no function in relation to the funding of maintenance and repair of weirs as outlined in the question and no funding line for such matters. I am not aware of any such funding request from the local authority.
518. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 305 of 9 September 2021, if the internal working group established to consider a long-term strategy for unsold affordable housing units met as planned in September 2021; if so, if action has taken place or is planned as a result of this meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1348/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn September 2020 I convened a working group to examine the issues around unsold affordable properties. The working group comprises members of the Local Government Sector, Housing Finance Agency (HFA), Housing Agency, Approved Housing Bodies through the Irish Council of Social Housing, and the Social Housing Leasing Section of my Department.
In progressing this examination, the working group has discussed a number of options to date. When the Group's work is finalised, which is expected in 2022, they will make recommendations to my Department.
The working group last met on 28 September 2021.
Following discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, €54,918,210 voted capital funding was used in December 2021 to bring 319 unsold affordable units fully into local authority stock by paying off the HFA debt on those units.
519. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when a decision will be made and extension given to a house owned by Donegal County Council which has an issue with mica (details supplied); the plans of the local authority for the family concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1395/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Disabled Persons Grant Scheme (DPGs) is funded by my Department to carry out works on social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability and over-crowded household situations. Typical works include adaptations such as stair-lifts, level deck showers, ramps and grab rails, widening door opening widths and improving circulation spaces. Extensions to provide for ground floor bathrooms and bedrooms can also be supported.
It is the local authorities that identify housing adaptation needs within local authority owned housing stock and oversee and prioritise appropriate responses to meet this need. My Department does not prescribe how this is implemented at local authority level.
Notwithstanding this, I do acknowledge the challenges arising in this situation. Donegal County Council has advised my Department that they are exploring the options available to meet the needs of the family involved.
Separately, as part of the enhanced measures announced on the 30 November 2021 with regard to the Defective Concrete Block grant scheme, work is ongoing within my Department to progress implementation of the Government decision to introduce a parallel grant process for local authority and approved housing body owned social homes impacted by the use of defective concrete blocks in their construction.
520. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will urgently increase the housing assistance payment rent limits for County Donegal to reflect the real cost of rent across the county and the impact of the mica defective blocks crisis on housing in the county. [1397/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra563. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider increasing the housing assistance payment limits in circumstances (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1984/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 520 and 563 together.
Increased rent limits for the Housing Assistance Programme (HAP) and the Rent Supplement Scheme were introduced in 2016. These limits were agreed in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection (DSP). In reviewing the rent limits, my Department worked closely with DSP and monitored data gathered from the Residential Tenancies Board and the HAP Shared Services Centre. The HAP rent limits were increased significantly, in the order of 60% in some cases.
Local authorities also have discretion, because of local rental market conditions, to exceed the maximum rent limit by up to 20%, or up to 50% in the Dublin region for those households either in, or at immediate risk of homelessness. It should be noted that it is a matter for the local authority to determine whether the application of the flexibility is warranted on a case by case basis and also the level of additional discretion applied in each case.
I am conscious that increasing the current HAP rent limits could have negative inflationary impacts, leading to a detrimental impact on the wider rental market, including for those households who are not receiving HAP support.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review and closely monitors the level of discretion being used by local authorities, taking into account other sources of data, including Residential Tenancies Board rent data published on a quarterly basis.
The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that HAP levels are adequate to support vulnerable households, while we increase the supply of social housing. Under Housing for All, my Department is undertaking an analytical exercise to examine whether an increase in the level of discretion available to Local Authorities under HAP is required, in order to maintain adequate levels of HAP support. This review is at an advanced stage.
521. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the assistance that his Department can provide to Donegal County Council to assist it with an emergency housing plan to address the crisis presented by mica defective blocks over the time ahead particularly in the northern half of the county. [1398/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government agreed an enhanced €2.2bn Defective Concrete Block scheme on 30 November 2021. The comprehensive changes include:
- The current 90% maximum grant will be increased to a 100% grant for all remediation options 1-5
- The maximum grant cap for option 1 (demolition and rebuild) will be increased to €420,000 from €247,500
- The grant calculation methodology for Option 1 remediation will be based on the cost per square foot (psf) of rebuilding the existing home, with costings to be set by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage after receipt of advice on construction costs from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) . An indicative rate of €145 per square foot is set for the first 1,000 sq foot based on SCSI methodology with a sliding scale thereafter.
- A revised application process will be introduced which will only require the homeowner to submit an initial ‘Building Condition Assessment’ at minimal cost recoupable on entry to the Scheme.
The Housing Agency will take over testing, sampling and categorisation of remedial works.
- Alternative accommodation and storage costs are to be included, subject to a maximum of €20,000
- In relation to works carried out under remediation options 2-5, a second grant option, will be available for such a home in the future if blockwork which was not removed as part of the initial remediation work subsequently proves defective in accordance with the IS:465 standard
- A new independent appeals process will be introduced
- The Scheme will be extended beyond the current scope of Principal Private Residences only, to also cover Residential Tenancies Board registered rental properties, subject to the introduction of a clawback mechanism upon re-sale within a set time period depending on the remediation option used. Opportunities for the State to acquire such rental properties for social housing purposes will also be examined.
Full details in relation to the changes announced are available at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/press-release/e365e-minister-obrien-announces-enhancements-to-the-defective-concrete-block-scheme/.
The grant scheme covers up to 100% of the costs associated with the qualifying works deemed necessary for the remediation of the relevant dwelling (subject to cost per square foot and maximum expenditure limits), and includes the funding for alternative accommodation costs, subject to a maximum of €15,000, which addresses the issue of accommodation costs while the property is being remediated.
Separately, as part of the enhanced measures announced with regard to the Defective Concrete Block grant scheme, work is continuing within my Department to progress implementation of the Government decision of the 30th November, 2021 to introduce a parallel grant process for local authority and approved housing body owned social homes impacted by the use of defective concrete blocks in their construction.
Work is ongoing in my Department to bring forward the legislative requirements necessary to provide for the enhanced scheme.
522. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if it is planned to accept defective block scheme applications for rental properties that were registered and payments that were backdated after 1 November 2021 in cases in which delays were encountered with the Residential Tenancies Board online registration process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1404/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI brought a Memorandum to Government on an enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme on 30 November 2021 and it included an unprecedented suite of improvements to the current scheme. Government approved the enhanced scheme which it is estimated will cost approximately €2.2Bn.
The Scheme will be extended beyond the current scope of Principal Private Residences only, to also include rental properties, subject to; the property being registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) on 1 November 2021, a maximum of one rental property per household and a clawback mechanism if the property is sold within a set time period.
Work is ongoing in my Department to bring forward the legislative requirements necessary to provide for the enhanced scheme. The requisite proof regarding registration of properties with the RTB will be considered as part of that work.
523. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of and position regarding the review by his Department of siting and size conditions for rooftop solar panels on homes, and review of exemptions for educational and community buildings, as part of the current development of interim planning regulations; if he will provide the stated need to consider environmental assessment reporting before finalisation; when the interim planning regulations will be submitted to the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1422/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra543. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide information on his Department's review of siting and size conditions for rooftop solar panels on homes and the review of exemptions for educational and community buildings as part of the current development of interim planning regulations; if he will provide information on the stated need to consider environmental assessment reporting before finalisation; when the interim planning regulations will be submitted to the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1741/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra589. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the expected timeframe for the review of siting and size conditions for rooftop solar panels on homes; the expected timeframe for the review of exemptions for educational and community buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2156/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra590. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position in relation to the Departmental review of the solar panel exemptions for information on the stated need to consider environmental assessment reporting before finalisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2157/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra591. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position in relation to the Departmental review of the solar panel exemptions; the expected timeframe in which the interim planning regulations will be submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2158/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 523, 543, 589, 590 and 591 together.
Under the Planning and Development Act, 2000, as amended (the Act), all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Regulations, requires planning permission. Section 4 of the Act and Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (the Regulations), set out various exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission. Any such exemptions are subject to compliance with any general restrictions on exemptions set out in the Act or the Regulations and to the specific conditions set out in each class of exempted development in Schedule 2 of the Regulations. Included in the planning exemptions set out in the Regulations are those applying to the installation of solar infrastructure on a variety of building types, including houses, businesses, industrial and agricultural to which specific conditions are attached.
My Department, in the context of the Climate Action Plan and in consultation with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, has undertaken a review of the solar panel planning exemptions set out in the Regulations, with a particular focus on facilitating increased self-generation of electricity.
This review is now complete. Substantial changes to the current planning exemption thresholds for solar panels are proposed, as well as the introduction of new classes of solar panel planning exemptions relating to their use in apartments and in educational/community/religious buildings.
In light of the need to appropriately address aviation safety concerns arising from the “glint and glare” impacts of solar panels and the easing of the solar panel planning exemption thresholds, my Department is in the process of commissioning the development of detailed aviation safeguarding maps which will identify and delineate specific but limited areas in the vicinity of airports and aerodromes (referred to as exclusion zones) within which the exemptions will not apply. Project scoping feedback has been received from interested parties through the draft Request for Tender process and has been considered by my Department in the development of the final Request for Tender documentation. My Department intends to publish the call for tender shortly.
Whilst this work is ongoing, my Department has advanced interim regulations, adopting a temporary, albeit more stringent, radial approach incorporating initial defined exclusion zones around airports and aerodromes. These interim regulations, allowing for increased solar panel planning exemptions, will cover the vast majority of the land area of the country, only excluding those limited exclusion zones around airports and aerodromes.
The draft interim regulations have been reviewed under the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive 2001/42/EC and it has been determined that they are likely to have significant effects on the environment, necessitating the undertaking of a full SEA on the draft proposals. It is anticipated that the formal SEA process will commence, with consultation with the statutory environmental authorities to inform the content of the Environmental Report, following the completion of the screening for Appropriate Assessment by my Department’s Ecological Assessment Unit. The SEA Environmental Report will be published alongside a draft of the interim regulations for a period of public consultation of not less than 4 weeks. This public consultation is expected to commence shortly. A copy of the draft interim regulations and the Environmental Report will be made available for inspection over this period. Written submissions or observations will be taken into consideration before finalisation of the draft interim regulation.
As required under planning legislation, the proposed exempted development regulations must be laid in draft form before the Houses of the Oireachtas and receive a positive resolution from both Houses before they can be made and the SEA process concluded.
Accordingly, the process for finalising the interim solar panel planning exemptions as referred to above, with interim exclusion zones around airports and aerodromes, is expected to be completed in Q2 2022. As outlined, pending the finalisation of the aforementioned aviation safeguarding maps, these interim regulations will allow for the vast majority of the country to be covered by the proposed new solar panel exemptions apart from those areas in close proximity to airports and aerodromes.
Work on the development of the aviation safeguarding maps for airports and aerodromes is expected to be completed in the second half of 2022. The final supplementary set of regulations - delineating the final exclusion areas around airports and aerodromes in which the exemptions will not apply - will be prepared thereafter and, subject to environmental reporting considerations, will subsequently be laid in draft form before the Houses of the Oireachtas for approval in a timely manner.
524. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if persons who received the pandemic unemployment payment pass the test of continuous employment that is required in order to apply for a loan under the local authority home loan scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1423/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the requirement that a primary earner must have at least two years continuous employment and the second applicant must have at least one year of continuous employment is relaxed temporarily. Periods where an applicant was unemployed as a direct result of the COVID-19 situation will not be deemed as a break in the required continuous employment and will be disregarded if certain conditions are met, including:
- You became unemployed in or after March 2020 and you return to employment.
- You have resumed continuous employment for a period of at least three months post your COVID-19 unemployment.
On a case-by-case basis, applications where the period of continuous employment post-temporary COVID-19 related unemployment is less than three months can be eligible, if the local authority considers that the particulars of the case warrant this approach, for example if the business of the applicant's employer is considered stable and there is no reason to expect another period of unemployment, subject to there being at least two years of employment overall.
In the situation of joint applicants, where one applicant was employed as normal and one applicant was made unemployed due to the COVID-19 situation, it is possible for this joint application to be eligible. However, the assessment of borrowing and repayment capacity and final loan approval will be based only on the income of the employed applicant.
Further information including eligibility criteria on the Local Authority Home Loan scheme is available on the dedicated website localauthorityhomeloan.ie/
525. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding that was provided to a local authority (details supplied) in 2021 for specific grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1441/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People, each of which are 80% funded by my Department, with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. The administration funding of the schemes, including assessment, approval and prioritisation, is the responsibility of local authorities. Local authorities receive an overall allocation, with the responsibility for the apportionment between the three schemes being a matter for each authority given their knowledge of local need.
Details of the allocations and drawdowns for all local authorities up to 2021, are available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/social-and-affordble/other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics.
526. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 270 of 23 November 2021, if his Department has received clarity from the European Commission regarding the water supply zones in Ireland that were identified as failing to comply with the requirements of the Drinking Water Directive 98/83/EC; and, if not, when he expects to receive such information. [1446/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraNo further details have yet been received in relation to the specific water supply zones that are the subject of this referral. My Department expects to receive papers from the Commission in the coming months, but the timescale varies for each individual case.
527. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons in receipt of the housing assistance payment in County Clare in each of the years 2016 to 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1503/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra528. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons in receipt of the housing assistance payment in County Clare in each of the years 2016 to 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1516/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra540. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons in receipt of the housing assistance payment in County Clare in each of the years 2016 to 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1688/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 527, 528 and 540 together.
The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. At the end of Q3 2021 there were more than 62,000 households in receipt of HAP and over 33,600 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by the scheme.
The table below shows the number of active HAP tenancies in Co. Clare from 2016 to 2021
|
Local Authority |
Active HAP Tenancies @ Q4 2016 |
Active HAP Tenancies @ Q4 2017 |
Active HAP Tenancies @ Q4 2018 |
Active HAP Tenancies @ Q4 2019 |
Active HAP Tenancies @ Q4 2020 |
Active HAP Tenancies @ Q3 2021 |
|
Clare County Council |
955 |
1,193 |
1,335 |
1,369 |
1,423 |
1,381 |
529. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current number of live studies, reviews and research undertaken or commissioned by him in tabular form; and the date by which each study, review and research is scheduled to be completed. [1556/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetails of the studies, reviews and research undertaken or commissioned by my Department and currently underway, are set out in the attached table, together with the scheduled completion date.
Information in relation to recently published reports is available on the homepage of my Department's website at: www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/
530. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authorities are required to employ a disability officer. [1579/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible.
Under Section 26(2) of the Disability Act 2005 each Public Body is required to have at least one officer authorised to act in the capacity of an access officer. That officer is responsible, where appropriate, for providing or arranging for and co-ordinating assistance and guidance to persons with disabilities in accessing the services provided by that body.
Further information regarding access officers would be available from individual local authorities.
531. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current status of the social housing passport reforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1584/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government provides for a package of social housing reforms, including a social housing passport to allow households move from one local authority waiting list to another.
There is already a degree of flexibility regarding waiting lists. The four Dublin local authorities have arrangements allowing social housing applicants apply for housing in up to two of the other Dublin authorities simultaneously. Similar arrangements apply in the two Cork and two Galway local authorities. Households may also move and relocate between housing authority areas under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme where the household income is within the relevant income limits.
Provision for wider tenancy movements will be examined this year and I will consider any proposals regarding such movements in the context of other reform package measures.
