Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

Currently, local authorities have an entitlement to dispose of their social housing, thereby allowing tenants to purchase their own homes, but local authority tenants of flats and apartments do not have the same entitlement to purchase their homes. I seek that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government sign the ministerial order permitting the sale of local authority apartments and flats. I understand that this must be done by the Minister and that the Minister of State with responsibility for housing does not have that power.

This proposal has been a long time in gestation. It has been discussed since I first became a member of a local authority. It was supposed to happen on numerous occasions but it did not happen. Finally, the proposal is near completion. There is not much sense in putting the legislation in place without the order being signed. That is necessary before we can get on with business. In a way it is unfortunate that we did not get around to introducing this legislation in the heyday of the Celtic tiger when people had money and could afford mortgages. The mortgage situation now is getting worse by the day. Nevertheless, it is important that the same entitlement would be given to those people who are tenants of local authority flats as well as local authority houses. I always felt that was discriminatory.

I hope the ministerial order is accompanied by a circular and a mechanism to generate information and awareness of the entitlement throughout the length and breadth of the country so as to encourage the take-up of the scheme, which is a right and entitlement. I would also welcome an incentive scheme. In 1998 we had the great housing sale, the millennium scheme. On that occasion, the State made a particularly generous contribution in terms of reducing the value of the houses to encourage people to purchase their own homes. People are still talking about the millennium scheme. An initiative of this nature regarding apartments and flats is unprecedented but it should be accompanied by a similar approach. It would be great if the local authority could be forthcoming on the matter and could provide funding to encourage people to avail of the units in their possession. I hope the Minister of State will outline a reasonable deadline for the operation of this new facility. There are many apartments and flats in my constituency. Given the difficulties with local authority maintenance, it would be beneficial if the tenants had the opportunity to take charge of their own homes and maintenance of same.

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