I propose to take Questions Nos. 32, 36, 37, 39, 41, 49, 69, 201 and 202 together.
The social housing income eligibility bands, the respective thresholds, and the local authorities assigned to each band were introduced in 2011. They were developed with reference to the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs, plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country, at that time.
Notwithstanding an increase in the thresholds for a small number of local authorities in October 2022, the thresholds have remained largely unchanged since 2011. In the meantime, accommodation costs have increased significantly nationwide.
It is for this reason Government recently agreed to increase the baseline income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds will increase to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively, and an estimated 16,000 additional households will likely be eligible for social housing support as a result. While local authorities have no scope to exceed these thresholds, they will continue to have flexibility when assessing eligibility to disregard income that is once-off, temporary or short-term and which is outside the regular pattern of a person’s annual income.
I am keen that those households, which may recently have been deemed not to qualify upon reassessment but would have qualified if the new thresholds had been in place, can retain time previously spent on the list. My Department is currently exploring the feasibility such arrangements under the current legislation and will provide guidance to local authorities on the matter in due course.
My Department has also recently begun work to develop a new social housing income eligibility model and I expect proposals for a new model to be submitted for my consideration in Q1 2023. The Department has formally consulted with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the project’s terms of reference, which include examining the consequences for the Exchequer of amending the thresholds. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will continue to input to this work as it progresses and is represented on the steering group established to oversee the project.