Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 April 2026
327. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a review of the current social housing application process will be undertaken to ensure it adequately captures the specific needs of adults with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities requiring bespoke accommodation. [31606/26]
View answer328. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if policies will be introduced to ensure individuals with intellectual disabilities can access housing within their local communities, in order to maintain family and social networks. [31608/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 327 and 328 together.
My Department jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027 and Implementation Plan with the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Disability, and Equality. The Strategy and Implementation Plan may be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/60d76-national-housing-strategy-for-disabled-people-2022-2027/.
The Implementation Plan sets out the actions to achieve the vision of the joint Strategy for delivering housing and related supports for disabled people to 2027 operating under the new housing plan Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030.
It is open to anyone to apply for social housing support, applications for which 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.
Under existing legislative arrangements, a household may apply for social housing support to one local authority only, which may be the authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which it has a local connection. However, the local authority may agree, at its discretion, to assess the household for support without the need to meet the 'normally resides' or 'local connection' criteria.
Disabled people who have met the eligibility and need criteria qualify for the suite of social housing supports, including HAP, and are placed on the housing list to be considered for the allocation of suitable tenancies in accordance with the authority’s allocation scheme.
My Department continually reviews the social housing eligibility framework and other related matters, as part of the broader social housing reform agenda to ensure that the social housing system efficiently delivers social housing supports that are fair, sustainable and prioritise those most in need.
Ultimately, decisions on the qualification of households for social housing support, the most appropriate form of such housing support, and the allocation of that housing support are a matter solely for the local authority concerned.
