Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will address the growing concerns among thousands of council housing applicants, many of whom have been on housing lists for seven, eight and nine years, that his new social housing policy, focused on leasing arrangements with private landlords and other bodies, will mean that those applicants will never now have a home of their own with proper security of tenure, and growing concerns about the likely decline in housing and maintenance standards that such a policy will entail; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24236/11]

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 49: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will allay concerns among thousands of council housing applicants across the country that his new social housing policy, which envisages replacing directly provided council housing with various leasing arrangements with private landlords, amounts to a hand-out to landlords, developers and banks at the expense of the housing needs of lower income families and their legitimate expectation for security of tenure and decent quality housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24239/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 49 together.

Leasing is a form of social housing support that, along with the Rental Accommodation Scheme and more traditional forms of support is provided by local authorities to meet a person's housing needs. The recent statement on the Government's housing policy, published by Minister Penrose on 16 June, referred to the provision of housing support based on choice, fairness, equity across tenures and on delivering quality outcomes for the resources invested. Leasing is one element of this approach.

In the context of rising housing need, the priority must be to maximise delivery of social housing to cater for the greatest level of need. It is not possible to purchase or build anything like the same number of units through traditional methods as can be provided through leasing. In addition, leasing broadens the range of housing options for tenants and is a flexible response to housing need at different stages in the lifecycle of the household.

Regarding the security of tenure available through leasing, it should be noted that under leasing, including RAS, the local authority takes over responsibility for the provision of accommodation for the household concerned. There is no time limit on this and therefore long term access to supported housing is protected.

Finally, the move to avail of leasing should not be viewed in isolation. The Incremental Purchase Scheme provides the opportunity for a household in a leased property to transfer to and purchase a dwelling provided for that purpose and to avail of the relevant subsidies and discounts.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 21: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the current practice of removing persons from council waiting lists if they are on the rental accommodation scheme on the basis that they are adequately housed; and if he supports this practice. [24110/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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The Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2009 gives legislative recognition to rental accommodation availability agreements as a form of social housing support. Consequently, since 1 April 2011, RAS tenants are now considered to be in receipt of social housing support and should not generally remain on the housing waiting lists for new applicants for social housing.

In recognition that RAS tenants may have had reasonable expectations about retaining access to traditional local authority rented accommodation, guidance issued by my Department recommended that there should be a special transfer pathway for RAS tenants to other forms of social housing support. It is my understanding that the members of many authorities have now included a provision of this type in their Allocation Schemes and that such tenants are included on transfer waiting lists. My Department is preparing further guidance in this regard.

RAS tenants obtain significant benefits through being in receipt of social housing support compared to remaining on Rent Supplement. In the first instance, it allows such tenants to take up full-time employment following their move to RAS. Secondly, it makes the housing needs of the tenants the responsibility of the housing authority, with the added security that implies. Finally, it ensures that tenants do not have to apply for social housing and be assessed under the new Housing Needs Assessment criteria.