Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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139. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the vetting procedures in place for approving properties for the purposes of HAP tenancies. [11267/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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A key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector, which best suits their needs, in their area of choice.

The minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these Regulations. Responsibility for enforcement of the Regulations rests with the relevant local authority. 

The HAP scheme is underpinned by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. Under section 41 of the 2014 Act, local authorities are required to commence the inspection process within 8 months of HAP support being provided in relation to a particular dwelling, if the dwelling was not already inspected within the previous 12 months. Local authorities carry out HAP inspections as part of their overall private rented inspections programme.

Given the need for inspectors to enter tenants’ homes, Covid-19 pandemic restrictions did impact on the inspection of all rented dwellings. The City and County Management Association’s (CCMA) Local Authority Services Frameworks for Future Covid-19 Pandemic Response did not permit on-site rental inspections from January 2021 until mid-July 2021. This was in order to protect tenants, landlords and inspectors. A revised Framework which issued on 13 July 2021 permitted the resumption of on-site rental inspections from 14 July 2021.

It is anticipated that €9 million could be spent on rental inspections in 2022. This compares to just under €2.8 million last year.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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140. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the outcome of the review on income eligibility for social housing under the Housing for All plan will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12100/22]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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160. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when he intends to publish and act upon the review completed in November 2021 into the current banding model and income limits applicable to local authorities regarding housing supports. [11294/22]

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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169. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will address the urgent need to reassess the income limits for social housing support on the grounds of persons being unable to qualify for the housing assistance payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10095/22]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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170. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when a decision will be made to increase the income limits for eligibility for local authority housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11779/22]

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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185. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the review into income thresholds for social housing eligibility will be published. [11273/22]

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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187. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans for increasing the social housing income eligibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11576/22]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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192. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the review of the eligibility thresholds for social housing. [12048/22]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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195. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will improve without further delay the income eligibility limits for social housing for areas such as counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12062/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 140, 160, 169, 170, 185, 187, 192 and 195 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).

If a household meets the eligibility and need criteria, it qualifies for the suite of social housing supports, including Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), and is placed on the housing list to be considered for the allocation of suitable tenancies in accordance with the authority’s allocation scheme.

The 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.

Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland was published in September 2021 and, as part of a broad suite of social housing reforms, committed to reviewing income eligibility for social housing.

The review, which examined inter alia the efficiency of the current banding model and income limits applicable to local authorities, was completed in Q4 2021. I am currently considering its findings and expect to decide on proposed changes and recommendations shortly.

I will publish the review thereafter.