Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 433: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to assist single persons, mainly men, on housing lists to access housing units in which they can reside on their own. [18754/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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It is open to any person or household to apply to a 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 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, regulations made under that section, and having regard to the particular circumstances of the case.

The allocation of social housing support is a matter for the housing authority concerned in accordance with an allocation scheme made by the authority under section 22 of the 2009 Act. Section 22 allows a housing authority to include in its allocation scheme a provision to set aside a proportion of dwellings for allocation to particular groups based on a particular identified housing need in the authority's functional area. It is a matter for the housing authority, however, to determine whether such a provision is required and which household groups e.g. persons with a disability, older persons, single adult households, should be targeted.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 434: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has addressed the legal difficulty for householders with an affordable home who wish to remortgage but cannot do so because the affordable home clawback payment provision is then triggered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18757/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Provision was made in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 to allow purchasers under the new Affordable Dwelling Purchase Arrangements to re-mortgage or top-up their mortgage without triggering the clawback. However, the Act does not provide this facility for purchasers under existing affordable housing or shared ownership arrangements. I have asked my Department to arrange to have the provisions necessary to address this matter included in the first appropriate legislative vehicle that becomes available.