Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)

I thank Deputy Lynch for sharing time. The key issue in this debate is one of fairness. Many people in my community believe they are being discriminated against because, having been born and grown up in a local authority flat, they are denied the privilege of purchasing their home. In 1988, when the offer of tenant purchase was rolled out across Dublin, many local authority tenants in my area and the area represented by the Acting Chairman, Deputy Costello, wanted to purchase their homes. This would have many benefits, including the stopping of the rapid changeover within the flat complexes. It would allow people to put down long-term roots within their communities and to envisage their areas as long-term home prospects. Instead, they have been constantly denied.

As Deputy Ciarán Lynch has just noted, there is no difference between a family living in a flat complex and one living in a local authority house. At present however, those who live in the latter are offered a 45% discount on their homes, whereas those who live in a flat complex are told to go on the transfer list in order that they might be transferred into a house some day with the possibility of purchasing it thereafter. Court cases ran from 1988 to 2009 in which families fought a challenge on the grounds they believed they had an agreed purchase price with the local authorities on their homes. They lost that case in 2009 and were tied in a legal limbo. As many of them have stated repeatedly, they have been discriminated against.

There are many positive elements to this initiative, which provides an opportunity for low-income families to put down long-term roots. I refer to the recent "Prime Time" special on Dolphin House and Members are aware of how strapped financially are local authorities. The selling off of some of their apartments would allow local authorities to generate an income and to invest that money in the stock. It is a natural progression to allow people to put down long-term roots in their own communities and I ask the Minister to fast-track this legislation as we need to move quickly on it. A young family who applied to purchase their home in 1988 still are in limbo and consequently, I ask the Minister to move on this matter as soon as possible and thank the Minister of State for taking the debate.

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