Housing and Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-14
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James Browne (FF), Wexford

I cannot accept amendment No. 21. This amendment proposes the introduction of a social housing passport allowing households to transfer between local authority areas while retaining their original waiting list or transfer list position. The amendment as it stands is well-intentioned. However, such an approach as drafted gives rise to significant legislative, operational and fairness concerns and is, therefore, not suitable for inclusion in this Bill.
The current social housing system is based on local assessment of housing need and local allocation of available homes. Housing need is assessed under nationally prescribed regulations, while each local authority operates its own allocation scheme that reflects local demand, housing supply and priorities. Income eligibility thresholds vary between local authorities. Allocation systems also vary between local authorities. Some local authorities place particular emphasis on waiting time, while others use more complex prioritisation approaches. Transfer arrangements also vary. In that context, waiting list positions are not directly comparable.
In addition, there are substantial operational complexities, including the absence of shared ICT infrastructure to support real-time, inter-authority social housing application transfers at scale. While offering greater choice and flexibility, a housing passport may not generate sufficient allocations to justify the additional resource and operational costs that would be involved.
Importantly, flexibility already exists within the current system. The four Dublin local authorities, for example, have arrangements within their county which allow social housing applicants to apply for housing in up to two of the other Dublin authorities simultaneously, while similar arrangements apply in the two Cork and two Galway local authorities. Under existing legislation, guidance to local authorities has long provided significant mobility supports, particularly to victims of domestic violence. Crucially, the Government recognises the need for targeted mobility in exceptional circumstances.
As Members will be aware, the Government recently agreed a dedicated local authority protocol to facilitate the transfer of social housing waiting list time for victims and survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. This protocol was developed following detailed engagement between the Department, local authorities and relevant stakeholders.
Given the complexity, fairness implications and administrative burden identified, it would not be appropriate to accept the amendment at this time.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-14/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:15+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-14