Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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1831. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the housing list for one, two, three and four bedroom housing units, respectively, by local authority; the way in which the announced new builds match the needs by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1913/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions. The allocation of social housing support to qualified households is a matter for the local authority concerned in accordance with the authority’s allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011.

An allocation scheme is solely a matter for the local authority concerned to make and implement, as it is a reserved function of the housing authority. Section 22(17) of the 2009 Act provides that the Minister’s power to direct a housing authority regarding the operation of its allocation scheme shall not be construed or operate to enable the Minister to direct the allocation of a dwelling to a particular household.

Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are provided in the statutory summary of social housing assessments, which are now being carried out on an annual basis.

The most recently published statutory summary of social housing assessments relates to the assessment carried out in 2016. This records the number of households on all local authority waiting lists, as at 21 September 2016. The results of the 2016 summary show that there were 91,600 households deemed qualified for, and in need of social housing support. The 2016 results provide a breakdown by each local authority across a range of categories, including by household composition and age profile.

Full details in relation to the 2016 assessment are available on my Department's website, at the following link:

An increased national social housing target of 50,000 homes has been set under Rebuilding Ireland and I will be discussing this heightened target at a Housing Summit I am holding with the local authority Chief Executives next week. I recently wrote to each local authority setting out their respective social housing delivery targets out to 2021. These targets are based on their housing need, as identified through the 2017 assessment, which I expect to be published shortly. This is the fairest and most objective basis for target setting.