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SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, March 13, 2023

QUESTION NO. 26

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the chief executive for a report on how medical priority is decided, report to include the process involved, the decision maker, notification to the person and how often submitted applications are decided on ?

REPLY:

Following revised procedures introduced in 2021, approved existing applicants for social housing supports can apply for medical priority by completing the appropriate form (HMD Form 1) which must be supported by two medical practitioners.  All such forms received are assessed by the Council’s independent medical referee who, based on the information submitted, will determine whether the priority provision of accommodation by the Council is required to assist with or improve the household’s medical circumstances outlined.  

New applications for medical priority are forwarded to the independent referee on a monthly basis and the results of these assessments are then communicated directly back to the applicants. 

The Council’s Housing Delivery Action Plan 2022-2026 commits to the provision of appropriate accommodation to meet the prevailing medical housing need and our construction, acquistion and allocations teams continue to work on planning for new delivery of homes to meet the existing medical priority needs on our housing list and in particular wheelchair accessible/liveable and specially adapted units.

Please see https://www.sdcc.ie/en/services/housing/finding-a-home/medical-priority-housing/hmd-form-1-disability-and-or-medical-information-form.pdf for further details.