John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I support my colleague, Senator Denis Landy, in his call to have the shared ownership scheme operated by the local authorities scrapped. When it was introduced approximately 15 years ago, those who availed of it were working and given mortgages based on that fact. I know many who are now out of work and receiving social welfare payments who are not in a position to repay their mortgage. As a result, in most cases, the county councils are parking the rental part of the scheme until things change for the owners of these properties. I have made a submission on the matter to the Minister of State with responsibility for housing and estimated that in one case in my area the mortgage sum required 15 years ago was ¤35,000. When that sum is repaid in ten years time, the council will be owed ¤30,000 by way of rental income forgone while the people concerned were enduring difficulties. They will not be in a position to repay that ¤30,000 or go to any lending institution to borrow the money while receiving social welfare payments. The councils should scrap the scheme, allow the people concerned to live in their homes and forego the amount that may be due. This begs the question as to how much do the people concerned owe in property tax if the council owns half of the house? Has this issue been dealt with? It may be clarified later today when we discuss the Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2013.