Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 928: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on facilitating a trade up process by which households, whose existing affordable home is inadequate, can move to more suitable accommodation from the unsold affordable housing stock without triggering the clawback; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37970/09]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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There is no provision under the current affordable housing schemes for upgrading to a larger affordable home. However, as is the case with all forms of private housing, an owner of an affordable home wishing to trade up may sell their existing house and purchase a larger dwelling in the market, subject of course to the repayment of the appropriate clawback.

While first-time buyers are a particular target group for affordable housing, current legislation provides that previous ownership of a house does not render an applicant ineligible for an affordable house and, therefore, a person may apply again for affordable housing. It will, of course, be a matter for the local authority concerned to consider the priority to be given to that individual's application for further affordable housing having regard to their needs and the needs of those currently on the authority's affordable housing list awaiting their first homes.