Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 281: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if persons who are not married and do not have any children are entitled to apply for social housing and thus to be provided with a housing needs assessment form in order to progress an application for rent allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43698/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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It is open to any person or household to apply to any housing authority for an assessment of their housing need. It is a matter solely for the housing authority concerned to determine whether an applicant for social housing support is eligible for and in need of that support in accordance with the provisions of section 9 of the Housing Act 1988 and having regard to the particular circumstances of the case.

Current regulations governing rent supplement provide that, with the exception of certain categories of household, an assessment of housing need is required as part of the process of determining eligibility for rent supplement. Details on the carrying out of assessments of housing need for rent supplement purposes are set out in Circular N09/09 issued by my Department in July 2009. A copy of the circular has been sent to the Deputy for information.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 282: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, further to Parliamentary Question No. 640 of 23 March 2010, if he will clarify the priority attached to this application by Cork County Council when submitted on 18 March 2009; if the council needs to resubmit this application for consideration for grant aid in 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43729/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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In February 2010 I approved funding of over €157m for a range of housing projects under my Department's Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) for people with specific categories of need. Approvals were largely based on the prioritisation afforded to individual proposals by local authorities. The project in question was placed eighth on the list of proposals submitted by Cork County Council. It is intended to issue a call for proposals in the course of 2011 for new projects to be included in the ongoing CAS work programme. It will be a matter for Cork County Council to submit a prioritised list of projects for inclusion in the programme having regard to the merit of the proposals received and the extent to which proposals will meet local housing needs.