Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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269. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to advertise via a national campaign that all housing list persons should re-register their details for social housing support; that a deadline exists re circular 25/2016 for local authorities by September 2016 and for individual persons by July 2016; his intentions to notify citizens, the arrangements he has made for those families in transitional shared or emergency accommodation to retain their place on the housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24033/16]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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277. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the housing assessment process requires a public information process to accompany it; if a review followed previous processes where housing applicants were excluded from the housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24127/16]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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279. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the housing assessment should be accompanied by a public information campaign; if a review was done following previous assessments and where housing applicants were excluded from the housing list; if he will undertake such a process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24134/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 269, 277 and 279 together.

The Social Housing Strategy 2020 – Support, Supply and Reform, published in November 2014, included a commitment to undertake summaries of social housing assessments on an annual basis from 2016. Arrangements to carry out the 2016 summary, which will provide updated figures of national housing need later this year, are well advanced.

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.

Information sessions for Local Authorities were hosted by my Department on 30 June and 6 July 2016. Detailed guidance has been prepared by the Housing Agency and provided to all authorities to support the Social Housing Assessment 2016. 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.

As part of this assessment , all Local Authorities have been asked to write to relevant households, including those in transitional and shared or emergency accommodation if relevant, informing them of the assessment and seeking updated information where necessary. Any household that has been assessed or reviewed since 21 September 2015 does not need to submit updated details under this assessment unless there has been a recent change in the household circumstances. In the event of non-reply by an applicant, authorities are advised to contact them again and to use all reasonable means of communication available to them in contacting applicants. Authorities have also been advised to undertake local advertising campaigns informing applicants about the Assessment.