Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 March 2026
610. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there is an audit process in place between his Department and the local authorities setting out the time from which a property is completed and ready to occupy to the time that the property is then made available to those who are on the housing waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16970/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraStatistics in relation to the length of time it takes to re-let local authority social housing stock are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in the annual Local Authority Performance Indicator Report. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including the number of social housing units in local authority ownership at a given time and vacancy rates. The most recent report, relating to 2024, is available on the NOAC website at the following link: www.noac.ie/noac_publications/report-77-noac-performance-indicator-report-2024/ . Previous years Performance Indicators Reports can be found at [www.noac.ie/?search=advancedPublications&categories=Performance+Indicator+Reports&year]=.
My Department has been working with local authorities and AHBs to identify opportunities to reduce the time it takes for a social housing home to be tenanted. Consultation and analysis with stakeholders as part of that work concluded that there are a range of circumstances that could impact the length of time a property remains vacant.
It is critical that the allocation systems and procedures utilised by local authorities and AHBs operate to ensure that there is no avoidable delay in households in need of accommodation being provided with these homes. The standardisation of procedures around existing good practice represents the greatest opportunity to achieve efficiencies in the end-to-end allocation process and eliminate avoidable delays which could result in a property remaining vacant. My Department working with local authorities and the Housing Agency has recently published refreshed guidance for local authorities in this area in order to embed best practice, and improve data gathering and reporting.
Furthermore, the new national housing plan, Building Homes, Delivery Communities, commits to reviewing the Code of Practice for the Approved Housing Body (AHB) Allocation Process which is an agreed set of arrangements between the local authority and AHB sector, dating from 2022. The Code seeks to establish a collaborative and efficient approach to the social housing nomination and allocations processes.
In order to reinforce this collaborative approach, a Working Group comprising my Department, the local authorities, the AHB sector (represented by the Housing Alliance and the Irish Council for Social Housing) and the Housing Agency has been established to carry out a review of the Code. The purpose of this Working Group is to undertake a review of the Code, assessing its operation in practice, and identifying any amendments or recommendations required to improve effectiveness and consistency of practice in the allocations process, adopting the same collaborative approach underpinning the Code. The review of the Code of Practice is scheduled for completion by H2 2026 with arrangements for its implementation also in place at that time.
