Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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131. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the social welfare incomes considered temporary when a local authority is assessing a person's application for social housing. [43964/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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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.

The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy which is available at the following link:

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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. Certain specific payments, as outlined in the Policy, are disregarded for the purposes of income assessment. Other than those payments listed, all income from social insurance and social assistance payments, allowances and benefits, is generally assessable. However, local authorities have discretion to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once-off in nature.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent)
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132. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of applicants for social housing in County Limerick to date in 2020, by district in tabular form; the number of social housing units completed to date in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44009/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the annual Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA).

The most recent summary, conducted in June 2019, shows that 68,693 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of social housing support. The total number of households qualified for social housing support in Limerick was 2,363. A further breakdown by district is not available. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the 2020 assessment has been delayed and will be published in due course.

My Department publishes comprehensive statistics on a quarterly basis on all social housing delivery activity. This is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link:

In addition to the statistical overview of activity in each local authority, a detailed Social Housing Construction Status Report is published each quarter which provides scheme level detail on new build activity under Rebuilding Ireland. The most recent publication covers the period up to the end of Q2 2020 and is available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link: .

Data on social housing completions is available for the first two quarters of 2020, and shows the delivery of 49 homes in Limerick through build, acquisition and leasing programmes. Data for Quarter 3 will be published before the end of 2020.