Noel McCarthy (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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30. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to increase the income limits for eligibility for social housing in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24839/25]

Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)
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64. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will increase the income limits to qualify for social housing as the current limits exclude a large cohort of individuals and families from both social housing and mortgage approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24261/25]

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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74. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he intends to increase the qualifying income limits for eligibility for social housing supports; and when the last change to these limits was implemented. [24773/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 30, 64 and 74 together.

Housing for All includes a commitment to review income eligibility for social housing. From this review, completed in November 2021, it was recommended moving five local authorities from Band 3 to Band 2, ensuring the income eligibility thresholds better reflect housing costs in those counties. Government also agreed to increase the baseline income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds thus increased to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

The review further recommended the commissioning of research to develop options for a revised or new social housing income eligibility model. My Department received this detailed research, commissioned by the Housing Agency. The scope of the research included examining the existing income limits in the context of current market and population conditions and the suitability or otherwise of the current framework having regard to the significantly changed landscape since the standardised income limits were introduced.

My Department is now undertaking a detailed examination of the report, in order to develop a new social housing income eligibility model in line with the Housing for All Action Plan update. This detailed examination will include consultation with stakeholders and will look at, inter alia, how the social housing income limits system interacts with other housing supports and ensure that they continue to target households correctly.