Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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559. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government whether local authorities should be required, under the Social Housing Assessment Regulations and the National Household Means Policy, to deduct private-sector occupational pension contributions, PRSA contributions, or AVCs, when made through payroll on a pre-tax basis and functionally equivalent to public-sector additional superannuation contributions (ASC), when assessing income for social housing and HAP eligibility; when current local authority practice must be aligned with national policy, and that national policy should explicitly include private-sector pension contributions, as it already includes ASC, which only benefits public-service workers; and the steps which will be taken to ensure fair and consistent treatment of private-sector workers, particularly with compulsory pension auto-enrolment from January 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66123/25]

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 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. Net income means that income tax, Universal Social Charge, PRSI and Additional Superannuation Contribution (ASC) are deducted from the relevant assessable gross income. With the exception of the specific payments listed in the Policy as being disregarded, all income from social insurance and social assistance payments, allowances and benefits, and occupational and social welfare pensions is assessable.

More detail on what income is assessable and the full list of disregards is available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/fb1f2-social-housing-support-household-means-policy/

My Department is currently in the process of reviewing the Household Means Policy to ensure it is consistent with the policy objectives of the introduction of the compulsory pension auto-enrolment scheme effective from January 2026.