Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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102. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will instruct local authorities to end the practice of including carer’s allowance as income in the differential rent scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35792/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Local authorities set and collect rents on their dwellings in accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of such rent schemes is generally a matter for local authorities within broad principles set out by my Department, including that rent levels should be based on income and reflect tenants’ ability to pay.

Local discretion and flexibility are inherent in the devolved administration of rent schemes and different approaches are taken to rent setting across local authorities. Accordingly, decisions regarding the sources of income, such as Carer's Allowance, included and disregarded for rent assessment purposes are matters solely for individual local authorities. I have no role in this regard.