Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for tabling this Commencement matter and for his remarks at the start. Unfortunately, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is not available to attend today. He has asked me to take this matter on his behalf.

Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.The 2011 regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard household means policy.

The household means policy is a document that issued to all local authorities in 2011, and it was reviewed and updated in 2021. It sets out the manner by which local authorities should assess the means of an applicant for social housing support, for the purpose of determining that household's ability to provide accommodation from their own resources. The policy sets out what income should be assessed as part of net income, what deductions can be made and what income is not assessable for the purpose of a social housing needs assessment. The policy also provides for a range of income disregards, and local authorities have discretion to decide to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once-off in nature. Under the policy, net income for social housing assessment is defined as gross household income less income tax, PRSI, additional superannuation contribution, ASC, and the universal social charge, USC.

Furthermore, there is no provision in the policy to deduct any other regular outgoings, such as maintenance paid in respect of family members, from gross household income for the purposes of the income threshold. When somebody makes a maintenance payment, it is to cover the cost of living for their children, which is the same cost incurred by a couple with children that are still living together as a family unit. There are no deductions from assessable income for the costs associated with the raising of children for a family unit, so it is reasonable that there are no deductions for these costs for the individual of a separated couple who is paying maintenance.