John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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41. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the intention within his Department to review the income thresholds for social housing applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35811/25]

Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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77. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department has concluded the examination of the review commissioned by the Housing Agency in order to develop a new income eligibility model, so as to raise income thresholds for social housing given the cost of renting and buying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35834/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 77 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's examination of the report is ongoing. 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.