Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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202. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the income of a person is not reassessed to determine social housing eligibility in cases in which a social housing support tenant in transferring from one HAP tenancy to another HAP tenancy or from a HAP tenancy to a local authority or approved housing body tenancy. [49308/22]

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.

Once a household is deemed eligible for social housing support, it is a matter for the local authority to examine the suite of social housing supports available, including the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, to determine the most appropriate form of social housing support for that household in the administrative area of that local authority.

Once approved for HAP, the local authority will expect the tenant to stay in the same property for at least two years. However, a tenant may be able to apply to their local authority for a new HAP payment for another property sooner if their circumstances change. For example, if they receive a job offer in another area, or if their family changes in size and the property is no longer suitable.

Where a person has a change of circumstances, including a loss or increase in income, they should notify the relevant local authority. The local authority can reassess those tenants and adjust their differential rent accordingly.

Consistent with the provisions in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, the HAP scheme is considered to be a social housing support and consequently households in receipt of a payment under the HAP scheme are not eligible to remain on the main housing waiting list. However, acknowledging that some households on the waiting list, who avail of HAP, have expectations that they would receive a more traditional form of social housing support, Ministerial directions have issued to ensure that, should they so choose, HAP recipients can avail of a move to other forms of social housing support through a transfer list.

Furthermore, local authorities are also directed that HAP recipients who apply to go on the transfer list should get full credit for the time they spent on the waiting list and be placed on the transfer list with no less favourable terms than if they had remained on the waiting list.

As provided for by the 2014 Act, housing authorities are not required to carry out a social housing assessment in respect of a household in receipt of social housing support that applies to transfer to another form of Housing support.

The practical operation of transfer lists is a matter for each local authority to manage, on the basis of their own scheme of letting priorities. The making of such schemes is a reserved function of the local authority and as such is a matter for the elected members.