Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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218. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to revise the thresholds for inclusion on the social housing list (details supplied) in view of the fact the current thresholds are unrealistic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25276/17]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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219. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to raise the current income limits to qualify for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25286/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 218 and 219 together.

The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for each housing authority, in different bands according to the area, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy.

The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country. The limits also reflect a blanket increase of €5,000 introduced prior to the new system coming into operation, in order to broaden the base from which social housing tenants are drawn and thereby promote sustainable communities.

Given the cost to the State of providing social housing, it is considered prudent and fair to direct resources to those most in need of social housing support.  The current income eligibility requirements generally achieve this, providing for a fair and equitable system of identifying those households facing the greatest challenge in meeting their accommodation needs from their own resources.

As part of the broader social housing reform agenda originally set out in the Social Housing Strategy 2020, a review of the income eligibility limits for social housing supports is scheduled to commence later this year.