Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This is a specific question that I am answering. My Department does not hold information on the number of households on local authority waiting lists. These figures fluctuate as households are allocated housing and new households apply for support.

In accordance with section 21 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, I directed all housing authorities to prepare a summary of social housing assessments carried out in their areas on 7 May 2013. The data submitted by housing authorities are being analysed and, once verified, will be collated and a report published by the Housing Agency. The report findings will detail the number of households on waiting lists in each local authority, broken down by basis of need, employment status, age of applicant, length of time on waiting list and other categories. This information will provide an important insight into the level and type of need for social housing support throughout the country.

The current assessment is the first to be carried out since the commencement of the social housing assessment regulations, dated 1 April 2011, which introduced a standardised system for assessing applicants for social housing support, including revised basis of needs criteria. The results, when available, will not therefore be directly comparable with the results of the last assessment carried out on 31 March 2011, which are available on my Department's website www.environ.ie and the Housing Agency's website www.housing.ie.

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