Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I do not believe there is any area in the country with a significant urban population that does not have a complex of local authority flats. These are usually three-storey blocks with ten or 12 flats in each. In Cork, the only area about which I am qualified to talk, most people who live in these local authority flats find themselves in a peculiar situation. I am aware, however, there have been several court cases with regard to flats in Dún Laoghaire and other parts of Dublin. The issue affects most major urban areas in the country.

What is unusual is that some people in Cork purchased their flats in 1994. When these people decided to purchase, the rent they had paid was taken into account, which meant most of them had little to pay to complete the purchase of their flats. A considerable number of people made an effort to purchase their flats at that stage, but were not successful because their homes were not for sale. Therefore, I do not believe it is fair for the Minister of State to say these people will be treated in the exact same manner as people who have suddenly decided now they want to purchase their flats. These people have gone to considerable effort to make their case. They could have gone to the local authority some years ago and said they wanted to move elsewhere because they were not permitted to purchase their homes. They could have decided to move to a house they could purchase. However, they did not do that. They stayed in their communities because they liked living there. They contributed to their communities and were the main contributors to the upkeep of the properties in which they live. They cut grass, contributed to the development of their community and paid rent, in the good times with the differential rent system. They paid a sizable rent, more than £100 in some cases and now well over €100.

The Minister of State cannot dismiss their case as if they were suddenly new kids on the block.

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