Michael Kitt (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this issue and the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, for coming to the House. I have raised this issue of voluntary housing with the local authority in Galway on a number of occasions and I am familiar with the good work done by the voluntary housing sector. It has played a great role in providing social housing in County Galway and, I am sure, in other counties. I believe there are approximately 600 approved bodies managing nearly 19,000 housing units under the capital assistance programme and the capital loan and subsidy scheme. The capital assistance scheme has provided sheltered housing and housing for those with special needs and for the elderly. It is an excellent scheme and there is a voluntary housing association in almost every county. The communities involved are deriving great benefit from their endeavours. In County Galway organisations such as Respond! and Clúid, in particular, have done great work.

I wish to raise a number of issues with the Minister of State, the first being the need to introduce a tenant purchase scheme for those in voluntary housing similar to that available to local authority tenants. As I understand it, the rent scheme applies to 18% of all household income for those in voluntary housing. It seems a bit unfair where voluntary, social and affordable housing occur on the same site and people pay different rents for their accommodation. It is not as if people have a choice because if they do not accept voluntary housing, I understand they could be left waiting indefinitely by the local authority. The local authority waiting list is the basis for voluntary and social housing and both types are 100% funded by the Exchequer.

Situations arise where tenants of the approved housing body live next door, and perhaps in an identical house, to a tenant of a local authority yet for those in voluntary housing, the rent scheme applies to 18% of the household income while under the differential rent scheme for local authority tenants, 15% of the income of the principal earner applies. It is not a very fair situation where these houses are located side by side in housing schemes.

In many cases, three quarters of tenants have come together to form an association and have worked together for years to get a voluntary housing scheme up and running. As they have this great ongoing involvement, it seems unfair they cannot purchase the houses and must pay a higher rent than the tenants in local authority housing.

I hope the Minister of State will indicate whether tenants in voluntary housing schemes will be able to purchase their houses and pay the same rent as that under the differential rent scheme for local authority tenants. If this were introduced, there would be greater fairness in the area of buying houses and it would free up more funding for housing because, traditionally, Irish people like to buy their houses. This is the only scheme under which they cannot buy their houses unlike the rural, social and affordable housing schemes. I am not saying all houses should be bought out but only family houses. I know local authorities do not sell their smaller one or two bedroomed houses which they perhaps keep for elderly tenants or lone parents but people living in three or four bedroomed housing in the voluntary sector should be allowed to buy their houses.