Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

213. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government how he can simplify the process of local authority housing applications and reduce the time taken to process individual applications, given that the process is greatly impeded by the amount of documentation which is required and evaluated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44610/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The procedures for assessing the eligibility of households for social housing support were updated in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011. The Regulations prescribed a common application form to be used by all housing authorities. The information sought in the form reflects the eligibility and need criteria set down in the housing legislation which must be met by an applicant. To ensure that a housing authority is in a position to consider a household’s application properly and fairly, this form must be completed fully and all relevant supporting documentation supplied. Failure to provide full information could result in an inaccurate assessment of the household’s application, including an unwarranted negative decision regarding qualification.

Regulation 12 of the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribes the timescales for the processing of applications by housing authorities for social housing support. In order for an application to be processed by a housing authority, the application form must be fully completed and any necessary additional information submitted by the applicant within the prescribed timescale.

In general, a housing authority should not take more than 12 weeks from the time of a valid application to complete its assessment. However, different timescales may apply where the housing authority requires additional information from the applicant within the relevant period, as defined in the Regulations. This process can lead to possible extensions to the 12 week timeline.

The assessment of applications for social housing support is solely a matter for housing authorities and I would expect that any additional information sought by a local authority would be appropriate, having regard to the circumstances of the household concerned.

I am satisfied that the current assessment process provides for an open and transparent system for identifying those households in need of social housing support. However, I am mindful of the need to ensure that any such system is not unnecessarily onerous on either applicants or housing authorities, and in the context of the review of social housing assessment procedures currently being undertaken as part of the broader social housing reform agenda outlined in the Social Housing Strategy 2020, the application form is being examined to identify any potential areas for improvement.