Call for change in housing policy
A Minister of State has called for local authorities to prioritise workers when allocating social housing, saying the current system fails to reward those in employment.
Minister Robert Troy argued that at a time of full employment, a message must be sent that “it pays to work.”
He made the remarks during a review of housing policies underway at Westmeath County Council.
Employment record as a key factor
The Mullingar-based Minister of State stressed that his proposal was not aimed at those unable to work, such as people with disabilities, those suffering ill health, or single parents with young children.
However, he said that for other applicants, their employment history should play a role in decisions.
“If there was a choice between providing a house to someone who was working or a person who never worked a day in their life, I am clear who the local authority should prioritise,” Mr Troy said.
He criticised the existing allocation system, which largely focuses on how long someone has been on the housing list, without regard to whether they are working. He described this as “very unfair” and sending “the wrong message.”
Past controversy
Mr Troy’s remarks come against the backdrop of his own controversy in 2022, when he resigned as a junior minister after errors in declaring 11 properties he either owned or part-owned.
The Standards in Public Offices Commission (SIPO) found that he had breached the Ethics Act in relation to property declarations, a contract, and a directorship between 2020 and 2021.
The commission accepted, however, that the omissions were inadvertent and that there was no deliberate attempt to conceal information.
Mr Troy later returned to government and was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Finance in February this year.
Broader public debate
His intervention has sparked wider discussion on housing policy in Ireland. Critics argue that the lack of regulation in the private rental sector has pushed more households to rely on social housing.
Lack of management of private rental in Ireland has meant that more people are being forced to ensure they keep income at level for social housing. They need to either vastly increase SH and income limits or sort out private rental.
Campaigners say the government faces a choice: either increase the supply of social housing and raise income thresholds for eligibility, or overhaul the rental market to provide affordable alternatives.
Social housing in Ireland was originally built with working families in mind during the 1960s, but today, campaigners argue, it is serving a much broader section of the population.
