Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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292. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the criteria used by the housing authorities to assess medical priority applications for housing. [15065/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Applications for social housing support are assessed by local authorities 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. Decisions on the qualification of households for support, the awarding of medical priority, the most appropriate form of support and the allocation of that support are a matter solely for the respective local authorities.

An applicant with a medical condition may request a priority based on that medical condition. Applicants applying on medical or disability grounds must complete the medical/ disability HMD-Form 1 specifying the nature of the medical condition or disability and, if applicable, an occupational therapist's report in respect of any specific accommodation requirements.

Regulation 23 of the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 sets out the aspects of a household's current accommodation to which the authority will have regard when determining a household's need for social housing support, which include the extent to which it meets any accommodation requirement arising from the enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment of a household member.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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293. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the obligations of housing authorities under the Disability Act 2005 to provide reasonable accommodation and services to individuals with disabilities. [15067/23]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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295. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the measures that are in place to ensure that housing authorities are complying with their legal obligations to provide suitable housing for individuals with disabilities. [15069/23]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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296. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the way the Government is working to improve communication and transparency in the housing application process for individuals with disabilities. [15070/23]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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297. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the support available for families with children with disabilities who require suitable housing; and how can they access this support. [15071/23]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 293, 295, 296 and 297 together.

The Disability Act 2005 places a statutory obligation on public bodies, including local authorities, to support access to services and facilities, for people with disabilities. Disabled people are entitled to apply for the full range of housing supports and when assessing applications for housing support, local authorities are required under their allocation schemes, to consider the particular needs of the disabled person to ensure that these are met when allocating a dwelling.

All local authorities have Housing and Disability Steering Groups (HDSGs) whose role is to put in place strategic plans for housing for disabled people and to monitor activity under these plans. The HDSGs are representative of disabled people as well as the Health Services Executive and the local authority and are a key driver of housing for disabled people at local level.

The National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027, was published in January 2022, and can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/60d76-national-housing-strategy-for-disabled-people-2022-2027/.

The Strategy sets out the vision for the cooperation and collaboration of Government Departments, state agencies and others in delivering housing and the related supports for disabled people over the next five years. The Strategy operates within the framework of Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland which is committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing with an appropriate mix of housing design types provided within social housing, including universally designed units, is available to everyone in Irish society, including those with disabilities and older people.

Work has been advanced on finalisation of the Implementation Plan for the Strategy, following which my Department will engage further with the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, for publication as soon as possible thereafter. In parallel, The Housing Agency is developing a communication strategy on the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People and its accompanying Implementation Plan.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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294. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the appeals process for medical priority housing decisions; and what the rights of applicants are to appeal. [15068/23]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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298. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if there is a national policy for providing a 35% discretionary top-up for housing assistance payment recipients with exceptional medical needs; and if so, the criteria and procedures for accessing this top-up. [15072/23]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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299. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the options for HAP recipients who have exceptional medical needs but are not eligible for the 35% discretionary top-up; and if there is a right of appeal or any other mechanism for requesting additional support. [15073/23]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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300. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the way local authorities are held accountable for their decisions regarding HAP recipients with exceptional medical needs; and if there is any oversight or monitoring of these decisions to ensure that they are fair, transparent, and consistent across different local authorities. [15074/23]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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301. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide examples of best practices for supporting HAP recipients with exceptional medical needs, including the provision of top-ups and other forms of support. [15075/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 298, 299, 300 and 301 together.

Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for housing support through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme. Once a household has been 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 HAP scheme, to determine the most appropriate form of social housing support for that household in the administrative area of that local authority.

Since 11 July 2022 each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 35% above the prescribed maximum rent limit and for new tenancies to extend the couple’s rate to single persons households. It should be noted that it is a matter for the local authority to determine if the application of the discretion is warranted on a case by case basis and also the level of additional discretion applied in each case.

The day-to-day operation of the social housing system is a matter for the relevant local authority, and ultimately, it is the responsibility of the local authority, to make a decision in each individual case.

Each local authority has a customer service charter and complaints procedure for applicants who may wish to make a complaint regarding the service they receive. Following that complaint, if they consider that they have been unfairly treated or are not satisfied with the Council’s decision on their complaint, it is open to them to make a complaint to the Ombudsman.