Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

789.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Cork County Council have no policy for the housing of people who have been victims of domestic violence; if it is his view that local authorities should have such a policy and his plans to ensure that they develop such policies.[34132/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.

If a household meets the eligibility and need criteria, it qualifies for the suite of social housing supports, including HAP, and is placed on the housing list to be considered for the allocation of suitable tenancies in accordance with the authority’s allocation scheme. It is a matter for the local authority to determine the most appropriate form of social housing support for that household in the administrative area of that local authority.

It is the local authority which assesses housing applicants, taking into account factors such as the condition and affordability of existing accommodation, medical and compassionate grounds, etc. The authority then prioritises the needs of approved applicants in accordance with its allocation scheme.

Decisions on the allocation of social housing support are a matter solely for the local authority concerned. Each application must be considered on its own merits and the individual circumstances taken into account. Local authorities will prioritise allocations to those households they consider to be most in need, which can include victims of domestic violence.

In 2017, my Department issued policy and procedural guidance to local authorities relating to the role they can play to assist victims of domestic violence. The guidance is also a useful reference for service providers working in the sector, highlighting where they can be of greatest assistance to their clients, covering a range of scenarios that may arise for victims of domestic violence currently in receipt of social housing support and those seeking social housing supports. These include provisions whereby a household may transfer out of their existing tenancy and into a new tenancy agreement with the local authority or they may access an independent tenancy in the private rented sector utilising the various housing supports offered by the State.

In June 2022 the Department of Justice published Zero Tolerance, the third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (DSGBV) 2022-2026. As an action in this strategy, my Department committed to a review of the 2017 Policy and Procedural Guidance for Housing Authorities in relation to assisting victims of domestic violence with emergency and long-term accommodation needs in order to ensure continuing effectiveness and consistency in responses to assist victims of domestic violence. This review is now complete and emerging recommendations will be shared with external stakeholders for input. Any updates to the policy and guidance will be communicated to local authorities in due course.

In the meantime, local authorities continue to operating in accordance with the 2017 Guidance.