Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The provision of housing is one of the main aims of this Government, and it is in the programme for Government. The tenant purchase scheme was a vital part of housing in all local authorities. For a number of years we did not have a tenant purchase scheme. In the past three years, a new tenant purchase scheme was introduced but only 80% of applicants are qualifying for the scheme. Pensioners have savings, and have spent years in their houses, yet they do not qualify for the scheme that will allow them purchase their house. I want the Minister to do something about that.

I have a question about another aspect of housing. The Minister said he would provide funding for emergency housing, namely, demountable homes, in our local authority area. I hear from people every day that the Department is refusing, delaying and not providing money for this vital housing need. The people who are seeking demountable homes have the space to put them in place. People in Dublin are buying expensive sites and so on but the people in our county have the place to erect a demountable home. I have been told that the Department in not allocating funding to our local authority to buy these demountable homes.

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