Sinn Féin has hit out at South Dublin City Council (SDCC) and the Department of Housing after over 3,500 households have "vanished" from the housing list.

Dublin Mid-West and spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin has called on the Department and the SDCC to explain how the housing list figures have dropped from 9,119 households in May 2016 to 5,562 in October 2016.

Deputy Ó Broin said: "The Department of Housing's Summary of Social Housing Assessments for 2016 published in December states that there are 5,562 households on the list in South Dublin County Council. This does not tally with the figures released by the council in May which indicated that there were 9,119 households on the list.

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"In just five months, between May 2016 and October 2016 3,557 households disappeared off the list. This could be partially explained by some households moving on to Housing Assistance Payment. However a large number of households have been removed during the latest Housing Needs Assessment.

"The assessment, which was last conducted in 2013, involves the council contacting citizens on their list in order to assess their current housing needs. While the assessment will always result in some people withdrawing from the housing list I cannot accept that almost a third of applicants no longer have a housing need.

"I have written to SDCC asking it to explain the scale of the reduction."

(CD)