Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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205. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the circumstances under which previous time on the housing list can be aggregated with the current waiting time in the context of the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16774/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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In order to qualify for social housing support and be placed on a housing list, an applicant must be assessed by the authority concerned as meeting all of the eligibility and need criteria set down in the legislation. Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.  

Oversight and management of housing waiting lists is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations. Specifically, 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.

Section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 specifically provides that the Minister’s power to issue policy directions and guidelines to housing authorities in relation to housing functions is not to be construed as enabling him or her to exercise any power or control in relation to any individual case with which a housing authority is, or may be, concerned.