Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta as an gceist seo. The overarching principle of social housing support is to provide adequate housing support to those households unable to provide accommodation from their own resources. Applications for such supports are assessed by local authorities in accordance with eligibility and need criteria as set down in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated social housing assessment regulations. The regulations introduced a standard system for assessing applicants for social housing support in 2011 and established a fairer, more consistent and transparent approach to determining eligibility for support.

Given the cost to the State of providing social housing, it is considered prudent and fair to direct resources to those most in need of social housing support. The current income eligibility requirements generally achieve this, providing a fair and equitable system of identifying those households facing the greatest challenge in meeting their accommodation needs from their own resources, and ensuring constrained resources are available to those who need them most.

Housing for All was published in September 2021 and committed to reviewing income eligibility for social housing. The review, which examined inter aliathe efficiency of the current banding model and income limits applicable to local authorities, has been completed, and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has recently approved implementation of its recommendations. The review is now available on the Department's website. On foot of the review, the Minister has approved proposals to scope and develop options for a revised or new social housing income eligibility model. The exercise will assess the suitability or otherwise of the current framework having regard to the significantly changed landscape since it was introduced and will make recommendations for an approach to income thresholds that reflects current and future needs. This work will commence shortly under the aegis of the Housing Agency, as the Deputy said, which has been tasked with commissioning it and we expect that work to be completed by the end of this year.

Pending completion of this work, the Minister has approved changes to the social housing income eligibility bands. Five local authorities - Carlow, Clare, Galway County Council, Laois and Westmeath - have been moved from band 3 to band 2. Accordingly, the baseline income eligibility threshold for these areas has increased from €25,000 to €30,000. The change reflects the movement in rents in recent years in these areas and will ensure local authority areas with similar accommodation costs continue to be grouped together in their respective bands. The changes came into effect on 1 October this year. It is now appropriate to wait for the report I referred to before considering the appropriate income threshold levels for all counties and the potential impact of any changes that might arise.

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