Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 500: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the guidelines for persons who wish to apply for social housing; and the amount a person has to earn to be ruled out for social housing (details supplied). [37797/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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No general income threshold is set by my Department for eligibility for local authority housing. Local authorities are responsible under the Housing Act 1988 for assessing housing needs in accordance with their scheme of letting priorities. In making this assessment, local authorities have regard, inter alia, to the income and family circumstances of the applicant. Persons who are, in the opinion of the local authority, unable to provide housing from their own resources are eligible for local authority housing. Some authorities apply an income limit, for example, equivalent to that for the shared ownership scheme or an affordable housing loan. Any review of income thresholds is a matter for each individual local authority having regard to local circumstances.