Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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1136. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a local authority can accept an application for social housing on medical grounds in circumstances where only one medical professional has signed the application; the options available to those who do not have access to a second medical professional including a nurse but wish to apply for local authority housing on the basis of medical needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60082/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, 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 2011, as amended. The allocation of local authority dwellings, including the prioritisation of certain households, is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation schemes made under section 22 of this Act and associated Regulations.

My Department brought forward the Social Housing Assessment (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 116 of 2021) which adopted the HMD-Form 1. The form is for anyone applying for social housing or a social housing transfer due to a disability or medical grounds. It provides for a variety and wider range of healthcare professionals to complete the form than previous iterations. This can include professionals involved with the person with a disability or medical condition, such as a consultant, general practitioner, mental health nurse, public health nurse, occupational therapist or social worker. The purpose of the HMD-Form 1, including the requirement for two healthcare professionals from this wider cohort, is to obtain sufficient information to allow the local authority to assess the nature of the applicant’s circumstances and determine the most suitable housing solution for them.

Where an applicant household cannot provide the necessary documentation, the local authority has discretion to request alternate documentation in order to satisfy itself in relation to any or all of the requirements.