COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, March 10, 2008

QUESTION NO. 15

QUESTION: Councillor K. Warren

To ask the Manager to state the total number of applicants for social housing who were refused a house when offered one by South Dublin County Council in each year over the past three years, and to state what were the predominant issues raised by the applicant in terms of turning down the offer, and if he will make a statement on the matter?

REPLY:

All Council houses are allocated in accordance with the  Scheme  of Letting Priorities for letting housing accommodation as adopted by South Dublin County Council on 12th December 2005 and approved by the Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal on 20th December 2006.  All offers of accommodation are made by reference to the applicants' stated area of housing preference which are determined by reference to the five no. Electoral Areas.   An initial offer of accommodation can be made in respect of any one of the (5) areas identified. Where this initial offer is refused, a second  offer will be made in respect of an alternative area, e.g. the Tallaght South Electoral area - lst Offer Jobstown, second offer, Killinarden.   Where two consecutive offers of a local authority dwewlling are refused without satisfactory explanation, the application is closed and  the applicant may not re-apply for housing for a period of one year from the date of the second refusal (Section 5, Part 1 of the Scheme of Letting Priorities) refers. 

The following outlines the position in relation to the number of refusals received in response to formal offers of social housing accommodation in the period 2005 to date.

2005     55

2006     59

2007    171

2008    6

Reasons cited by housing applications for  refusals of offers of accommodation include:

1. No longer interested in Housing Area

2. Anti Social

3. Preference for house as opposed to apartment

4. Racial Abuse when viewing dwelling

5. Desire to reside closer to family home

6. Requirement for downstairs bathroom/toilet facilities (where no medical grounds have been advanced)

7. Not accessible to public transport

8. House located in close proximity to halting site

7. Distance from childrens' school

8. House/apartment too small