Independent TD Carol Nolan has said that Irish families must be put at the front of the queue for social housing, and that policy must prioritise Irish people at a time of unprecedented pressure on the housing system.
Speaking after confirmation that new social housing eligibility rules will require all members of a household to satisfy enhanced residency conditions, the Offaly TD says the measure represents an important step towards ensuring scarce social housing resources are restricted.
Deputy Nolan was commenting following a parliamentary reply from minister James Browne confirming that a household will not be eligible for social housing support unless every member of the household satisfies the relevant residency requirements, with limited exemptions applying in certain cases. The requirement forms part of the new legislative framework introduced through the Housing and Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026.
“Social housing was established to provide support for those who cannot meet their housing needs through their own resources, but when supply is so severely constrained, the State has a responsibility to ensure Irish people are prioritised, “she said.
“Indeed, how have we arrived at a point when that view is somehow considered controversial? My emails and office are inundated with correspondence and calls every single day from young parents in desperate situations, many of whom are living in severely overcrowded spaces or emergency accommodation if they can find it,” she said.
The Government has stated that residency requirements already existed in practice and that the new legislation largely places them on a statutory footing while introducing a new habitual residence requirement:
“At a time when thousands of Irish families remain on social housing waiting lists and continue to struggle with the cost of securing accommodation, it is entirely reasonable that access to long-term State-supported housing should be severely restricted in their favour,” said Deputy Nolan.
“Every available social home allocated to one household is a home that cannot be allocated to another. That is why eligibility rules must be robust, enforceable and capable of ensuring that only those with the strongest connection to Ireland are given priority, such as Irish nationals.”
“However, the obvious question arising from this clarification from the minister is whether there may previously have been circumstances where the residency status of a single non-national applicant effectively determined eligibility for an entire household, even where other household members did not have the same or indeed any established connection to the State.”
Minister Browne also confirmed that preparations are underway for the commencement of the new statutory arrangements, including detailed guidance on how housing authorities should assess lawful and habitual residency requirements:
“The minister maintains that these provisions largely reflect existing policy, but there is a need for complete transparency on exactly what has changed and what has not changed. If the new provisions do not lead to Irish people being put first, then they will have failed. That is my clear and unapologetic view.”
“The Government must now provide full clarity on the practical impact of these measures. The public deserves to know whether loopholes have been closed, how the rules will be enforced and what safeguards are in place to ensure that limited social housing resources are allocated to Irish people first,” Deputy Nolan concluded.