Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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46. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will review the income eligibility limits for social housing; his plans to ensure that the income limits for areas such as counties Cavan and Monaghan are improved without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17657/20]

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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49. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the review of income thresholds to qualify for a place on a local authority housing list will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17376/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 49 together.

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.

Under the Household Means Policy, which applies in all local authorities, net income for social housing assessment is defined as gross household income less income tax, PRSI, Universal Social Charge and Pension-Related Deductions within the meaning of Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009. The Policy provides for a range of income disregards, and local authorities also have discretion to decide to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once-off in nature.

The income bands are expressed in terms of a maximum net income threshold for a single-person household, with an allowance of 5% for each additional adult household member, subject to a maximum allowance under this category of 10%; and 2.5% for each child, subject to a maximum allowance under this category of 10%.

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. It is important to note that the limits introduced at that time also reflected 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, both promoting sustainable communities and also providing a degree of future-proofing.

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.

However, as part of the broader social housing reform agenda, a review of income eligibility for social housing supports in each local authority area is under way. The review will also have regard to current initiatives being brought forward in terms of affordability and cost rental and will be completed when the impacts of these parallel initiatives have been considered.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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48. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of affordable houses to be built; and the number of social houses to be completed and allocated in 2020 in Cork city. [17613/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Since 2016, my Department has been working with local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, to deliver housing under Rebuilding Ireland. Local authorities were given 4 year overall social housing delivery targets, and they are working towards these targets to end 2021. We will be working hard, with our delivery partners, to incorporate the ambitious goals and initiatives of the Programme for Government into our targets for 2021 and beyond.

Cork City Council have an overall build, acquisition and lease delivery target of 2,067 social housing units to the end 2021 and to date have delivered over 1,700 units. Almost 300 homes are currently projected for delivery in 2020. The allocation of completed homes is a matter for individual Local Authorities.

The delivery of affordable housing is a top priority for this Government and for me, as Minister. Under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), €310 million has been allocated to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of more affordable homes on local authority lands.

The most advanced, SSF funded, affordable housing project is at Boherboy Road in Cork City. The Council has confirmed these homes are expected to be made available on a phased basis from Q1 2021. In total, the delivery of approximately 400 affordable homes in Cork City and County will be assisted by almost €22 million funding via the Serviced Sites Fund.