Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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474. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the refusal of transfers between county housing lists is a policy or law by the councils. [15297/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended, provide that households may apply for support to one local authority only. Usually, this will be the local authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which the household has a local connection. Local authorities may also, at their discretion, assess households with no link to the area for support.

However, in the case of the three counties with more than one local authority, Dublin, Cork and Galway, the local authorities in each county co-operate in arrangements to enable applicants for social housing to apply for housing in areas in other local authority functional areas simultaneously. At least one of these choices must be in the functional area of the housing authority of application. Accordingly, under existing arrangements, a household that applies, for example, to Dublin City Council can, if qualified for support and should they choose to do so, be entered on the waiting list of three of the four local authorities in Dublin city and county.

Generally, it is not possible for a household previously on one social housing waiting list to carry the time spent on that list when applying to another local authority. This ensures any unfairness that might arise for households already on a waiting list in a receiving local authority is avoided.

Households are assessed against the eligibility and need criteria set down in the relevant legislation when applying to another local authority area. If deemed eligible, they qualify for the suite of social housing supports, including the Housing Assistance Payment, and are placed on the housing list to be considered for suitable tenancies in accordance with the relevant local authority’s allocation scheme. Notwithstanding this, local authorities will prioritise allocations to those households they consider to be most in need at any moment in time.