Housing PQ's

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For Written Answer on : 21/05/2019
Question Number(s): 650 Question Reference(s): 21526/19
Department: Housing, Planning and Local Government
Asked by: Darragh O'Brien T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the status of proposals for a housing passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY



It is already possible for households to move and relocate between housing authority areas, including relocating from an urban to a rural location, under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme.

 

Under the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, a household may apply to one housing authority only for social housing support, at a time. Currently it is not possible for a household on the waiting list of one housing authority to transfer its application to another authority and to carry the time spent on the previous list (special arrangements that apply where there is more than one housing authority in a county, as is the case in Dublin, Cork and Galway).


A commitment has been given to examine the possibility of introducing a “housing passport”. The basic premise is that households in receipt of, or qualified for, social housing support in one local authority area could potentially transfer to, or be allocated, social housing in another local authority area. I am  currently finalising proposals in relation to this matter. It is my intention to bring forward any proposed changes needed to implement the passport proposal to Government as part of a comprehensive social housing reform package of measures in the near future.

 

 



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For Written Answer on : 21/05/2019
Question Number(s): 651 Question Reference(s): 21527/19
Department: Housing, Planning and Local Government
Asked by: Darragh O'Brien T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government his plans to increase the threshold for discretionary spending on housing by local authorities above levels set in Budget 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY



At an overall level, the budgetary provision for the delivery of housing in 2019 is €2.4 billion, the largest investment ever in a single year.  This funding will see the housing needs of 27,360 households being met this year. Local authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services, Local Property Tax (LPT) as well as funding from Government Departments and other bodies.  Elected members have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which includes adopting the annual budget. Accordingly, it is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary processes, having regard to both locally identified needs and the resources available. Local authorities may decide to augment central Government funding for the provision of housing from within their own resources, in line with the authority's agreed budget.

 

 



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For Written Answer on : 21/05/2019
Question Number(s): 652 Question Reference(s): 21528/19
Department: Housing, Planning and Local Government
Asked by: Darragh O'Brien T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the protocols put in place between local authorities and the Land Development Agency in relation to the coordination of land purchases; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY



The Land Development Agency (LDA) is focused on managing State-owned land to develop new homes, and regenerate under-utilised sites. In the longer-term the LDA will assemble strategic land banks from a mix of public and private lands, making these available for housing in a controlled manner, bringing essential long-term stability to the Irish housing market with the objective of facilitating the delivery of 150,000 new homes over the next 20 years. 

The LDA’s mandate in the initial period is focussed on accessing existing State land rather than land acquisitions. Accordingly, the need for a formal protocol for engagement with local authorities in relation to land acquisition does not arise at this point.
There is, of course, ongoing engagement between the LDA and local authorities on a range of issues of mutual interest. As the LDA develops further in the coming months, the need for a formal land acquisition coordination procedure to be put in place between the LDA and local authorities, to support the existing informal discussions already taking place, will be kept under review.