Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Moran for raising the issue. I am sorry neither of my colleagues could be present to respond to the matter. They wished to be present but something came up. Social housing is a key priority for me and the Government, especially the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, and the Minister of State at that Department, Deputy Paudie Coffey. Under the Social Housing Strategy 2020, the total targeted provision of more than 110,000 social housing units will address the needs of the approximately 90,000 households on the housing waiting lists while also providing scope to address further emerging needs, as in the example Senator Moran raised today. Social housing targets have been set for each local authority, including Louth County Council, up to 2017. The targets set and the funding allocated are being invested by local authorities in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes designed to accommodate 25% of those currently on the housing waiting lists. The target for Louth is 778 units, the delivery of which is supported by an allocation of €57 million.

In line with the targets set for social housing delivery, the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, announced a major social housing construction programmes in May and July this year, with €492 million of investment covering all 31 local authorities, involving more than 2,800 housing units. That included more than €150 million in approvals under the capital assistance scheme, which supports approved housing bodies in the provision of housing for homeless persons, the elderly and people with disabilities. The announcements included 75 new social housing units specifically for County Louth. Further details of targets, allocations and projects are available on the Department's website.

The assessment and allocation process for social housing support takes into account situations where a member of a household has a disability, such as in the case outlined by Senator Moran, and allows local authorities to prioritise the allocation of accommodation in those circumstances. Under section 63 of the Local Government Act 1991, a local authority is, subject to law, independent in the performance of its functions. Under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated regulations, elected council members set down council policy in relation to the allocation of local authority housing in its allocation scheme, including determining the order of priority for the allocation of dwellings by the authority. The chief executive of the local authority is required to make allocations, including decisions on transfers for existing local authority tenants, in accordance with this scheme. I understand Louth County Council's scheme provides that transfer applications will be considered in situations where a transfer would relieve a serious medical condition, including physical or mental disability.

Section 22 of the 2009 Act also provides that the chief executive may disregard the order of priority given to a household under an allocation scheme where the household is being provided with social housing support arising from specified exceptional circumstances, including exceptional medical or compassionate grounds. Support is also provided to local authorities to meet the needs of tenants with a disability through funding for adaptations and extensions to social housing units. In May, the Minister, Deputy Kelly, allocated €10 million for these supports for 2015, an increase on recent years, with almost €440,000 being made available to Louth County Council. In summary, local authorities have a range of options available by means of which they can address cases of specific need, whether through use of the increased funding for adapting existing houses; or by making an alternative social house available where this is more suitable; or acquiring a property if that is considered the most appropriate option in individual circumstances.

Senator Moran will appreciate that the Minister cannot directly tell the council what to do or who to give a house to but a range of options is available to address situations, such as the one outlined by Senator Moran. One of those measures should be available and I hope the matter will be resolved shortly.