Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 270: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he proposes to establish a tenant purchase scheme for local authority tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34658/08]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to provide a legislative framework in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008 to enable tenants of local authority flats or apartments to purchase their homes under the tenant purchase scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34925/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 275 together.

A tenant purchase scheme for local authority houses has been in place for many years. The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008, which was presented to the Seanad on 23 July 2008, did not include provision for the tenant purchase of local authority apartments as it was not possible to resolve the complex issues involved in time for publication. Work is continuing to address the outstanding issues with a view to presenting proposals for a viable apartment sales scheme during the passage of the Bill through the Oireachtas.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of children with families who are homeless in each local authority area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34664/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Under section 9 of the Housing Act 1988, local authorities are required to carry out an assessment of the overall need for social housing on a triennial basis. The latest assessment took place in March 2008 and results, including those in relation to homelessness, will be finalised and published as soon as possible. The most recent available figures for homelessness relate to 2005.

The information requested is set out in the table below: