Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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455. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to help support families who took up shared ownership mortgages but can no longer afford the rent portion of the agreement due to changes in their circumstances following the economic collapse. [41079/13]

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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483. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to help support families who took up shared ownership mortgages but can no longer afford the rent portion of the agreement due to changes in their circumstances following the economic collapse. [41080/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 455 and 483 together.

The Government's 2011 housing policy statement announced the standing down of all affordable housing schemes, including the shared ownership scheme, in the context of a full review of Part V of the Planning and Development Act. That review is available on my Department's website and the period for public submissions closed on 27 September 2013.

Earlier this year, I asked the Housing & Sustainable Communities Agency to conduct a stand-alone review of the shared ownership scheme, including identification of the main difficulties and recommendations for mitigating measures. I have received an interim draft of the review from the Agency and I intend to issue a circular letter to local authorities in the coming weeks with preliminary recommendations arising from the review.

A number of issues have been identified that need further detailed financial analysis fully to assess the impact on local authority finances of possible mitigating measures. This additional work is underway and I expect to make further recommendations in the coming months.