Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

With regard to one aspect of the Minister's response on approved housing bodies, it is the scenario that tenants of local authorities have the option to purchase properties under various tenant purchase schemes and now under the incremental tenant purchase scheme. Tenants of approved housing bodies do not have that option. There are legal issues relating to schemes to allow approved housing bodies sell properties to tenants. I welcome the Minister to his new brief. What measures can be taken to put in place a voluntary scheme for the sale by approved housing bodies of housing stock to tenants? Tenants have a natural aspiration to own their homes over time. This aspiration is satisfied for the tenants of local authorities but not those of approved housing bodies. Among certain approved housing bodies there is a willingness to consider a sales scheme and such schemes have been put in place in the United Kingdom. Perhaps it is something the Minister might consider.