Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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273. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will address a matter regarding a housing list (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43004/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The allocation of social housing support is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated regulations. Section 22 of the Act requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of dwellings to households qualified for social housing support and to households approved for a transfer, the allocation of which would, in the opinion of the authority, meet the accommodation needs and requirements of the households.

Decisions on the qualification of specific persons, including those with disabilities, for social housing support and the allocation of that support are matters solely for the local authority concerned. As Minister, I am precluded by law from becoming involved in individual cases.

In accordance with the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability, which has been extended to 2021 Housing and Disability Steering Groups (HDSGs) have been established in all housing authority areas, to achieve a coordinated and integrated approach to meeting the housing needs of people with a disability at local level. These are chaired by Directors of Housing in each authority and include HSE and disability representative organisations.

Each HDSG has prepared a local Strategic Plan for its own City/County area, to develop specific local housing strategies for people with disabilities to meet identified and emerging need over the five years of their term. These Plans, which are available on the relevant local authority websites, along with the annual Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA), allow local authorities to plan more strategically for the housing needs of people with a disability and support the delivery of accommodation using all appropriate housing supply mechanisms.