Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

118. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will ensure there are no barriers in relation to waiting lists for social housing that pressure persons to remain in abusive relationships in order to maintain their position on waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12110/22]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To  qualify for social housing support and be placed on a housing list, an applicant household must be assessed by the local authority concerned as meeting all of the eligibility and need criteria set down in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations.

Local authorities may prioritise certain classes of households for allocation on the basis of severity of need. They may also reserve a certain proportion of dwellings for, among other things, allocation to particular categories of households, particular forms of tenure, and households transferring from other forms of social housing support.

Local authorities may also provide for exceptional or emergency cases, allowing immediate housing outside of normal waiting lists priorities, should circumstances require. As an immediate and short term response, a local authority may provide short-term emergency housing to persons forced to leave their homes because of domestic violence, without having to assess their eligibility for social housing support.

A new protocol was also established in 2020 when the Minister for Social Protection agreed to make rent supplement more accessible to victims of domestic violence, ensuring they would not be prevented from leaving their homes because of financial or accommodation difficulties.