John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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2160. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will review the income ceiling for qualification on local authority housing lists in view of the fact those that do not qualify cannot qualify for home loans and have no security in their accommodation. [26750/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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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.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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2161. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his Department has issued instructions to all local authorities to request that any non-Irish housing applicants be asked to provide proof that they do not own property in the country of their birth regardless of the number of years they have lived here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26751/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The primary purpose of social housing support is to assist the provision of suitable accommodation for households who have a housing need but do not have sufficient resources to secure accommodation from their own resources.

The 2011 Social Housing Assessment Regulations provide that a household is ineligible for social housing support if a household member owns alternative accommodation that the household could reasonably be expected to use to meet its housing needs, either by occupying it or by selling the accommodation and using the proceeds to secure other suitable accommodation.  On foot of this provision, Part 11 of the prescribed social housing application form seeks information on property ownership in the State and abroad and this applies to all applicants for social housing support.

A household is required, under Regulation 11 of the 2011 Regulations, to provide to the housing authority such additional information, including documents and other particulars, as is sought by the authority for the purpose of verifying information relating to its application for social housing support.

It is a matter for the local authority to determine what is required in individual cases.  My Department would expect that any information sought by a local authority in this regard would be appropriate, having regard to the circumstances of the household concerned.