Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

This issue was highlighted for the Minister when the Bill was before the Seanad. I recall at the time he could not give a commitment because of the complexities involved but undertook to address the concerns of Members of this House with regard to the equality issues raised concerning tenant purchase of apartments. I welcome the fact that the Minister has done what he said he would do. I acknowledge managing apartment complexes is a complex area in that there is purchase of some and not others, the common areas and so on, but the Minister has done his best to grapple with that difficult matter and the amendments before us will allow tenants a sense of equality. They are no different from those who are renting a local authority house in that they too can buy an apartment in the same way they could buy the local authority house in which they were living. I acknowledge the progress that has been made in this regard. It will be welcomed, mainly in the authorities in the larger cities where many of these apartment complexes are located. I thank the Minister for his efforts in that regard.

I do not wish to be negative but on the area of housing associations, which was debated here and in the other House, if we are talking about total equality the tenants of housing associations is an issue we should keep under review. We might examine in a future Bill the possibility of those tenants having some opportunity to purchase association houses which have been provided for by the State. There is an argument that must be acknowledged, and it is made in many local authority chambers throughout the country, that while tenants of those houses are glad to have them and the estates are run very well by the housing associations - I compliment the housing associations on their engagement in the social housing area - we should revisit this area in the future to further the argument of equality and the right of a person to purchase the house they have rented for many years. However, I acknowledge the progress the Minister has made with regard to apartments.