Less than one-third of people applying to be housed by Dublin City Council actually need local authority accommodation, the council has said.
In its most recent assessment of housing needs, produced every three years, the council estimated that only 5,776 households needed local authority housing out of a total of 18,582 applications made in 2005. Of the households who made applications, 10,509 where deemed eligible by the council's housing section.
However, the council excludes from its assessment of "net need" people who are eligible but who are already in local authority housing, even if the accommodation is overcrowded or "materially unsuitable".
Those already registered in another local authority are also excluded in the "net needs" assessment.
The exclusion of these two groups reduces the number in need of social housing to 8,378. The council further reduces the numbers, however, by excluding those whose needs it believes could be more appropriately met by other sectors or housing measures.
Of the 2005 applicants, the council estimates that 2,262 would be more appropriately housed in the private rented sector.
