Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy raised two questions, the first regarding the number of units leased from private landlords. The target I set for this year and last year was 2,000 units each year. We achieved our target. There were 1,993 units for 2009 and I am confident that we will reach our target this year. The reason for the private units being at that level is that local authorities obviously decided, and rightly so, that they would offload many of their unsold affordable units into the leasing area for the very good reason that they were costing them a great deal of money and were not being sold. It made sense to me and to them that they would deal with that area of their responsibility first. Indeed, in 2010 the swing is going the other way towards the private side.

With regard to the right to purchase, the Deputy asked that we insert a mandatory right to purchase. I do not agree with that. The property owner as part of the negotiation process may decide to put a value on account of the house not having such a clause. I am of the opinion that the charge for having this option being made available should be left as a negotiating opportunity by either the approved bodies or the local authority with the developer. An alternative to the inclusion of an option purchase clause could perhaps be the right to have a first refusal. I am not prepared to have a mandatory purchase but if a developer wants to have such a clause, we have set out a template for him or her to enter such an agreement with the local authority or the approved body.

See this speech in context