Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 440: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has plans to advise or instruct local authorities to purchase houses on the open market for inclusion on their housing stock in view of the reduction of prices throughout the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46655/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Acquisitions already form an important component of the Social Housing Investment Programme. Local authorities have powers under the Housing Act 1966 to acquire dwellings for social housing purposes and must consider such acquisitions in the context of their housing action plan and their available funding.

As is the case with all Social Housing Investment Programme projects, proposals for acquisitions must be developed in accordance with the policy framework set out in Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, addressing inter alia an identifiable housing need and promoting a desirable tenure mix in the wider locality, and must also fully comply with the usual procurement requirements and procedures as outlined in my Department's Circulars which place particular focus on achieving best value for money.