Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

While discounts have been related to the length of tenancy for many years in the tenant purchase schemes for houses, I would question the logic of granting a subsidy to a person to buy a property solely on the basis of the length of time which he or she has been subsidised in renting that property. It seems to me, as Minister of State with responsibility for housing, that it is a much fairer approach to tailor the subsidy to a person's capacity to pay for the property and that is what this legislation provides for. This is worth reflecting upon. Subsequent to the legislation being enacted, I will be bringing in regulations rather than primary legislation.

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