1641. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when social housing applicants can avail of the new protocol that allows victims and survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence to transfer their time on the social housing list between local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55702/26]

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 has recently been published by my Department and is currently being implemented by the local authorities.

The Protocol 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 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.

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.