COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, July 13, 2026
QUESTION NO. 28
QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons
To ask the Chief Executive to provide a detailed report on the length of time applicants must be resident in the country and/or county before applying for social housing, and the proof of residency required.
REPLY:
The assessment of applications for social housing support is governed by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, and subsequent amending regulations.
To qualify for social housing support, applicants must demonstrate a housing need and meet the eligibility criteria set out in the legislation.
The following considerations will apply where applications are received by the Council for inclusion in the assessment of housing needs -
- Eligibility Applicants must be aged 18 or over and must have long term permission to reside in the State or otherwise comply with the requirements of the State for residence.
- Applicants must reside in the functional area of South Dublin County Council. Applicants residing outside the functional area of the Council may be included to such extent that (a) they have a local connection to the functional area or (b) at the Council’s discretion
- Local Area Connection
- Member of household has resided for a continuous five-year period at any time in the area or
- Employment of any member of household is in the area or is located within 15 kilometres of the area or
- A household member is in full-time education in any university, college, school or other education establishment in the area or
- A household member with enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment is attending a related educational or medical establishment in the area that has facilities or services specifically related to such impairment
- A relative of any household member lives in the area and has lived here for a minimum of two years.
- Non-EEA citizens must have Garda National Immigration Bureau card (Green Card) with a Stamp 4 status – 5 years reckonable residency is required, this can be made up from a stamp 1, 3, 4 or 5 – this can be historical or extending to a future date.
- Asylum Seekers are not eligible for social housing support.
- If the applicant is a “former asylum seeker”, who has been given “leave to remain” and a Stamp 4, the application may be accepted for assessment regardless of prior length of residence, provided the applicant has
- A current Stamp 4 in their passport
- A letter from the Department of Justice giving leave to remain on foot of the applicant’s representations under section 3 of the Immigration Act, 1999.
- EEA citizens must be:-
- Employed/self-employed
- Where not currently working/employed it is because:-
- They are temporarily unable to work because of illness/accident;
- They are recorded as involuntarily unemployed after having been employed for longer than a year