Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is an issue in respect of the crossover between local authorities. It has not been resolved between Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council in spite of a significant amount of co-operation. Plans are in place, however, and the councils are considering the matter. One such plan may be to compile a list of all landlords seeking to sell in Fingal, for Dublin City Council to do the same and a swap to be made, so that properties go into Dublin City Council, for example. It is possible that is being considered.

Another matter of concern is that different local authorities have different rules, as the Minister of State noted. There is a need to be more specific in this regard. In Dublin City Council, a family with two boys or two girls living in a three-bedroom house would normally only be entitled to a two-bedroom house. There is a need for flexibility. To say the family cannot purchase that house because it has three bedrooms and they only have an entitlement to two bedrooms is not acceptable. That should be conveyed to local authorities across the board.

There is a need for flexibility on this issue. It is arising between Fingal County Council and Dublin City Council. I have been contacted by people in Fingal, near where I am based, who want to buy but they are tenants of Dublin City Council in the Fingal area and vice versa. That is the point of this. The tenant in situ scheme is working. It is a little slow but it is starting to ramp up and that is very positive. I have dealt with several such cases. It is a massive incentive for families to avail of the scheme. The dividends for those families are significant. I wish to concentrate on the specific issue of the crossover and ensure it is given consideration by the Minister of State, his Department and the various local authorities.

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