Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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229. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he plans to change the bands for social housing to better reflect the reality of the housing market (details supplied). [2502/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Government recently agreed to increase the baseline income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds increased to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively, with an estimated 16,000 additional households potentially eligible for social housing support as a result.

While local authorities have no scope to exceed these thresholds, they will continue to have flexibility when assessing eligibility to disregard income that is once-off, temporary or short-term and which is outside the regular pattern of a person’s annual income.

My Department has also recently begun work to scope options for a new social housing income eligibility model and I expect proposals for a new model to be submitted for my consideration in Q1 2023.