Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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383. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he has taken a decision to have those households whose income is above the specified eligibility thresholds removed from local authority housing lists as part of the 2016 social housing assessment; if this decision has been explicitly highlighted by departmental officials in recent briefing meetings with local authority staff in preparation for the social housing assessment 2016; if so, the level of excess household income which would determine whether a household that is €1 above the threshold, a nominal amount above the threshold, or a percentage above the threshold would be removed from the list; the number of households which were removed from the local authority lists in 2013 for having exceeded the household income threshold; and the reason he is not taking into account high rent levels, high child care costs or other household costs when making the income assessments. [22753/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The aim of the 2016 Summary of Social Housing Assessments is to capture the total number of households nationally which are qualified for social housing support and whose housing need is not being met. A household is deemed to qualify for social housing support where it demonstrates its eligibility and need for such support in accordance with the qualification criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Assessment Regulations made thereunder.

The Summary process requires housing authorities to review qualified households who are not currently in receipt of housing support to ensure that they still qualify and still require support, and to ensure that the detail of the applicant households is up to date and accurate. At recent information sessions, housing authorities were reminded by my Departmental of the provisions of the relevant regulations.

For the purpose of assessing households under the income eligibility criteria, the Social Housing Assessment Regulations prescribe the maximum net income limits that can be set by each housing authority to be applied in assessing an applicant’s eligibility for social housing support. The 2011 Regulations do not provide housing authorities with any discretion to exceed the thresholds that apply to their administrative areas.

Income is assessed under the Household Means Policy, which applies in all housing authorities. Under the policy, net income for social housing assessment is defined as gross household income less income tax, PRSI and the universal social charge. The policy provides for a range of income disregards, and housing authorities also have discretion to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once off.

Under Regulation 28 of the Assessment Regulations, a household’s qualification for support may be reviewed at the discretion of a housing authority and Regulation 29 provides that the household’s qualification for support shall be reassessed at the point of allocation of support.