John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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619. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the work carried out by his Department regarding the implementation of a national differential rent scheme for local authorities; when the scheme is likely to be rolled out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14171/21]

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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703. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the position regarding the progress that has been made on the national differential rent scheme; the proposed criteria for reckonable income within local authority areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15307/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 619 and 703 together.

The Programme for Government commits to bringing forward a package of social housing reforms, which includes standardising the differential rents regime across the country to ensure fairness. Work on the review of the current rent schemes has been ongoing and I have asked my Department to prepare recommendations regarding the potential for a standardised local authority rents system, including a standard set of income disregards, which I will consider in due course as part of a package of social housing reforms.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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620. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if departmental guidelines permit Wicklow local authorities to operate two separate differential rent schemes in one local authority area; if other local authorities are operating similar schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14172/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The right of local authorities to set and collect rents on their dwellings is laid down in section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of such schemes is an executive function and is subject to broad principles set out by the Department, including that rent levels should be based on income and reflect tenants’ ability to pay.

Some local authorities retained the separate differential rent schemes operated by Town Councils after the abolition of Town Councils under the Local Government Reform Act 2014. Most of these schemes have been phased out by the local authorities in the interim period, with the sole exception of the separate scheme operated by Wicklow County Council in respect of the former Bray Town Council area.