Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 249: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that new housing assessment regulations which amalgamate some local authorities for the purposes of housing applications are proving to be administratively impractical due to local authorities having no common information systems; if this amalgamation will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12755/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Social Housing Assessment Regulations, 2011, establishing a new system for assessing applicants for social housing support, came into effect on 1 April 2011. In the interests of facilitating access to social housing support and using local authority resources to best effect, the Regulations provide for a single application by households that goes beyond the boundaries of the functional areas of individual housing authorities. The Regulations do not amalgamate local authorities.

The Local Government Computer Services Board is currently developing information technology systems to support all aspects of the new social housing assessment system. At present, the number of applications which relate to more than one housing authority area is small, and authorities should have the capacity to deal with the administrative issues involved in sharing information with other authorities. As the number of applications increases, new information technology systems will be deployed to manage the new arrangements.