248. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if current social housing tenants, including HAP and RAS tenants, will be included in the improved protocols for the allocation of social housing to victims and survivors of domestic violence and abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53796/26]

254. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm that HAP and RAS tenants will not be able to access the domestic, sexual and gender-based violence social housing transfer protocol. [53948/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 254 together.

The Protocol to allow victims and survivors of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV) to transfer their time on the social housing waiting list between different local authorities gives effect to a commitment contained in Delivering Homes, Building Communities, which recognised that fleeing domestic violence continues to be a significant factor in presentations to homeless services and committed to removing barriers faced by victims and survivors. The action is detailed below:

“In order to further ensure that there is no barrier to a household fleeing domestic violence to receiving services, a protocol will be agreed with local authorities to provide that victims of DSGBV, subject to meeting all other social housing eligibility requirements, can transfer previous time spent on a social housing waiting list to another local authority.”(pg 61)

The Protocol allows victims and survivors of DSGBV assessed as qualified for social housing support, and who satisfy the necessary evidential requirements, to apply to another local authority and, subject to meeting the receiving authority's eligibility criteria, retain their original qualification date for waiting-list purposes. An important feature of the Protocol is that it will be actively monitored as it is rolled out, this monitoring will help ensure that the Protocol is meeting the needs of victims and survivors and will allow any concerns to be identified and addressed quickly should they arise.

Under existing legislation and guidance, local authorities have long provided significant mobility supports to victims and survivors of domestic violence including that households may also move and relocate between local authority areas under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme where the household income is within the relevant income limits.

Local authorities also assist victims and survivors with both their emergency and long-term housing needs under the Department's "Policy and Procedural Guidance for Housing Authorities in Relation to Assisting Victims of Domestic Violence with Emergency and Long-Term Accommodation Needs" [], first published in 2017.  This guidance sets out the role local authorities can play in supporting victims and survivors of domestic violence, including assisting existing social housing tenants and working closely with domestic violence services and other agencies. Under those arrangements, local authorities can assess victims as homeless where they are residing in refuges, prioritise cases through their allocation schemes utilising exceptional and emergency allocation provisions, assist households to access HAP and RAS supports, and work with victims who are existing social housing tenants where tenancy issues arise. These guidelines are currently being reviewed and the Protocol will form part of the updated Policy and Procedural Guidance.