David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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479. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if it is his Department's policy for letters requesting a place on a local authority housing list to be submitted in English only; if the local authority will accept a letter in an applicant's native language to be translated by the local authority afterwards where the application comes from a non-national for whom English is not a first language; if it is the case that local authorities will accept letters in English only; if his attention has been drawn to the costs of translation that in effect act as an application charge; his views on whether the cost of translating a letter for a local authority before an application is accepted is in breach of the Equal Status Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41639/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The prescribed application form for social housing support is available from housing authorities in Irish and English, and in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003, housing authorities are required to ensure the provision of services through Irish.

The issue of communicating with applicants whose first language is not English, or Irish, is a matter for individual housing authorities in the context of the commitments set out under their respective customer service charters. I understand that authorities endeavour to provide services through languages other than Irish and English where possible.

The Equal Status Acts 2000-2015 prohibit discrimination in the provision of goods and services by a public body on any of the following ten grounds: gender; civil status; family status, sexual orientation; religion; age; disability, race; membership of the Traveller community and housing assistance. It is open to any member of the public to make a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission if they feel that a breach of the Acts has occurred.