COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, June 08, 2015

QUESTION NO. 29

QUESTION: Councillor D. Richardson

Can the Chief Executive give a report on the council policy on present tenants regarding council tenants been asked to move to smaller accommodation if children move from the family home and only parents are left in the house SDCC are asking tenants to move to a smaller house or apartment?

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council does not have a policy of requesting Tenants to downsize their dwelling where they have become overaccommodated.  When Tenant's apply for a transfer to alternative accommodation their application is processed in accordance with the Council's Allocation Scheme and successful applicants are placed on the Transfer List for accommodation appropriate to their current family composition as below:-

Single person or Couple (Certain 1-bed units may be  designated for older persons only) 1-bed
Lone Parent or Couple with 1 or 2 children of the same gender 2-bed
Lone Parent or Couple with 3 or 4 children or 2 children of opposite gender 3-bed
Lone Parent or Couple with 5 or more children 4-bed

In some cases alternative size accommodation may be deemed necessary on medical grounds e.g. a couple requiring two bedroom accommodation.

At present there are 767 applications on list for a transfer to alternative accommodation, of these 19 are older persons (65 years+) who would downsize to one bedroom accommodation primarily from three bedroom accommodation.  The Council has older persons dwellings peppered throughout the County and specific complexes in Jobstown, Neilstown and Liscarne.  FOLD Approved Housing Body provides older persons dwellings in it's developments at Whitestown Way, Tallaght and Fortfield Road, Terenure, there are no current vacancies.  The Council nominates suitable candidates to Approved Housing Bodies when informed of vacancies in older persons dwellings, among others.

The Council must also take cognisance of those older persons on the Housing List who are residing in private rented properties in the main, often shared accommodation.  A recent Ministerial Directive instructed at 50% of allocations must be to those with Homeless/Medical circumstances for a six month period up to 26th July 2015 at present the Council has two of the three vacant older persons dwellings designated to Homeless older persons.