Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 30: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding local authority moves to remove housing applicants on the rental accommodation scheme from the social housing lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15603/11]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 34: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason, in view of the fact that the rental accommodation scheme was envisaged as a temporary measure, it is current practice to remove persons from the housing list when they are placed on RAS. [15646/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 34 together.

The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is not considered a temporary measure. Its core objectives are to reform the approach towards providing accommodation within the private rented sector for long-term dependents on rent supplement and to enhance the response of housing authorities to meeting long-term housing need. Households on RAS have, as far as possible, been given the benefits associated with being local authority tenants.

Section 19 of the Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2009 Act was commenced on 1 April 2011 and gives formal legislative recognition to rental accommodation availability agreements as a form of social housing support. As a consequence, RAS tenants do not fall to be assessed under the new eligibility requirements set for new applicants for social housing. This is a significant benefit for many RAS tenants who may have taken up employment following their move to RAS and might now otherwise exceed the income eligibility levels for new applicants for social housing support.

In recognition that RAS is a relatively new form of social housing support, and that some RAS tenants may have had expectations about access to local authority rented accommodation, guidance issued by my Department recommended that there should be a special pathway for RAS tenants to other forms of social housing support. This pathway should be included in Allocation Schemes that are adopted by elected representatives of housing authorities. It is my understanding that many authorities have included a provision of this type in their Allocation Schemes.