Council may start counting applicants it turns away for social housing

Laois County Council is being asked to count the amount of people that it refuses for social housing, some of whom face eviction from their private rental properties.

The local authority has to reject applicants who earn above a certain limit set by Government, but the catch 22 for many of them is they cannot qualify for a mortgage either.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley, of the Portlaoise Municipal District, has requested recording the numbers of rejected social housing applicants.

She asked for the measure at the October meeting of Laois County Council after hearing a positive update from the housing section, which is top in Ireland at delivering new social housing.

"It is great work, it's one of the busiest departments in the council. You have created over 1,200 new tenancies in the past three years.

"But do we contact those over the limit, who are not eligible? I feel there are more and more people coming to us on notices to quit, who are not eligible. Unfortunately we are giving them the bad news that there is nothing for them. Do we keep a record? 

"Obviously Affordable and Cost Rental schemes will be huge for these people when they start coming through. It would be a barometer to look at for those suitable," Cllr Dwane Stanley said.

Laois County Council's senior housing officer Louise McEvoy said it can be considered.

"We don't capture every query. We do if they make an application or contact Fionnuala Daly (social worker in housing section). 

"We could consider keeping a record of calls, of people over the limit who don't make an application," she said.

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So far in 2025, 467 people went through the process of applying for a social house to Laois County Council.

There are 1,454 approved individuals and families waiting for a home. The council has given out low rent social homes to 294 applicants so far in 2025.

It has provided 32 Affordable or Cost Rental homes to buy in 2025, four times the target set. It plans to provide 19 more in 2026.

Laois is number one of all county councils in the Housing For All national plan, as it struggles to meet housing demands. It has exceeded its yearly target every year since 2022, and by the end of 2026 will have provided 1,180 new social homes, more than double the five year target set by Government of 534. Many include homes built and owned by approved housing bodies.

Laois County Council is also top of the class for how fast it turns around vacated council homes for new tenants.

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However those targets are expected to be increased to reflect more realistic levels of demand.

The council's housing section now employs 66 staff working across areas including new builds, tenancy allocations, retrofits, maintenance, homelessness, disability services, traveller accommodation, grants and private rental inspections.

The income limit for Laois people asking for a social home is €35,000 for a single person, and €36,750 for a couple, both rising slightly with each dependent child. The limit has not risen in almost three years.