Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his answer. He mentioned that certain criteria are to be reviewed after 12 months, and the figure he has given of 73 applicants tells its own story. Clearly the criteria are not expansive enough to allow people the opportunity to take advantage of any such scheme, hence our bringing forward a Bill in the first instance regarding those who should have the opportunity to purchase Part V units, like anybody else has the opportunity to purchase local authority units because he or she is a tenant. No discrepancy should exist between the two.

I question the methodology behind waiting 12 months and I ask that the Minister of State set about informing his Department to carry out an immediate review and to refer back to us at the beginning of the next session of the Dáil. As I said to him, many people - for example, social welfare recipients - could take out a loan with a 60% reduction of the value of the house and they would be paying less in repayments than they would in the rent they are paying at present.

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