Housing Act, 1988

Additional provisions relating to sections 56 to 58 of Principal Act and to section 12 .

20.—(1) In providing dwellings under section 56 of the Principal Act, a housing authority shall have regard to the latest assessment made under section 9 and to the need for housing of any person accepted, after the making of such assessment, for inclusion in the next assessment, and shall seek to maintain a reasonable balance between the respective needs of the classes of persons specified in section 9 (2).

(2) The power of a housing authority under section 56 of the Principal Act to provide dwellings and under section 57 of that Act to provide sites for building purposes shall, in the case of a council of a county, be deemed to include, and always to have included, a power to provide dwellings or sites (as the case may be) in a town in the county having commissioners under the Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act, 1854 , as if, for the purpose of such provision, the town formed part of the functional area of the council.

(3) The council of a county and the commissioners under the Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act, 1854 , of a town in that county may enter into an agreement that any power of the commissioners under section 58 of the Principal Act or under section 12 shall be vested in and exercised by that council in respect of such houses, to such extent and for such period as may be specified in the agreement.

(4) Entry into an agreement under subsection (3) shall be a reserved function.