Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 67 together.

I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for the question. The programme for Government commits to maintaining the right of social housing tenants to purchase their own homes with some changes to eligibility. The current tenant incremental purchase scheme 2016 is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €50,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year. The minimum income level was introduced to ensure the sustainability of the scheme. Applicants must demonstrate that they have an income that is long-term and sustainable in nature to ensure that the tenant purchasing the house is in a financial position, as the owner, to maintain and insure the property for the duration of the charged period.

A review of the operation of the first 12 months of the scheme has been prepared. The review and the commitments in the programme for Government are being examined. All of these issues raised, including the position regarding pensioners wishing to purchase under the scheme, are being considered. My Department is preparing a submission on this and other social housing reform matters, and we expect we will be in a position to make decisions and changes to the scheme in early course.

The Deputies will be aware that under the programme for Government, a number of issues were raised. As Minister of State, they are the guide rails I have to go by. Under the programme for Government, as in the Act, there is a requirement that local authorities have first call on the purchase, that the discount rate be revised and that the applicant has resided in the home for over a year, a period that should be increased.

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