Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 13: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties arising from changes to the method of assessment for social housing applications in relation to qualification for rent supplement and the communication that has taken place with the Department of Social Protection in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30734/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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In July, 2009 the Department of Social Protection introduced changes in the way in which applications for rent supplement are assessed. The main effect of these changes is that persons who are six months in private rented accommodation and whose circumstances have changed such that they can no longer afford the rent do not require to have an assessment of housing need carried out by a local authority in order to be considered for rent supplement.

For other applicants for rent supplement, including those leaving the family home for the first time, a full assessment of their housing needs carried out by the relevant local authority is required. It is a matter for individual local authorities to manage the assessment process. However, my Department has asked authorities to put in place special arrangements for dealing with persons leaving institutions or who are homeless.

The changes referred to were brought about following discussions between my Department and the Department of Social Protection and in consultation with the Community Welfare Service and local authorities. The operation of the arrangements is monitored by a group representative of the two Departments.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 14: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the local authorities who have commenced or intend to commence new social housing building programmes in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30727/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of housing policy. Data on social housing commencements are published in the quarterly housing statistics bulletin, the most recent of which is Q3 2009. The full range of data compiled and bulletins issued can be viewed on my Department's website, www.environ.ie.

Under the social housing investment programme, local authorities traditionally met social housing needs mainly through the construction of housing in local authority estates and the funding of similar projects through the voluntary and co-operative housing sector. To date in 2010, I have allocated a total of €457.18 million in capital funding to individual local authorities to cover the costs of new construction, Part V and other acquisitions, ongoing projects and final accounts, not including regeneration and remedial works allocations. To ensure that this investment programme is delivered in a coherent and coordinated manner, each housing authority was required to prepare 2010 Housing Action Plans, having regard to their notified funding allocations, and the prioritisation of projects and new proposals, including those involving direct construction. Under these plans, particular emphasis was placed on achieving best value for money while responding to local housing needs.

In addition to construction projects and acquisitions, social housing supply channels have been expanded to include new arrangements with private landlords under the Rental Accommodation Scheme and the long-term leasing initiative. Where housing authorities continue to use direct construction as a component part of their supply programmes, the emphasis has changed from larger new-build construction projects to those with regeneration benefits and smaller infill combined construction and remedial works projects, to expand and improve the existing stock of local authority owned dwellings so as to maximise availability and use.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 15: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 490 of 29 June 2010, if he will reconsider his decision not to take steps to alter the current arrangements which can prohibit the owners of affordable homes from subletting them in view of the reality that an increasing number of persons have to relocate if they are to find work. [30472/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The purpose of affordable housing is to support access to home ownership for middle income households by making housing available for purchase at a discount from market price. In the absence of an occupancy condition attaching to the allocation of an affordable house the very principle for providing that house could be undermined and call into question the use of Exchequer funding for purposes other than those for which they were intended.

As indicated in the reply to Question No. 490 of 29 June 2010, the terms and conditions of the various affordable housing schemes and the regulations governing local authority loans do not prohibit an affordable home owner from renting a spare room in his/her home, though a local authority may, for good reason, attach conditions to the contract with the purchaser pertaining to subletting of the unit and its use by the purchaser as his/her normal place of residence.

If it were the case that an affordable house was to be fully sublet it would be difficult to put in place adequate controls to prevent those persons who could afford to purchase a house from their own resources taking advantage of the situation to purchase an affordable house with the express intention to rent it out. The abandonment of a condition that an affordable house be used as the normal place of residence of an affordable purchaser could be detrimental to the objectives of the schemes.

A range of supports are available where a household is facing difficulties in meeting mortgage repayments, whether from a local authority or private lender.