Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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154. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the Government’s review of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000; the guidelines given to local authorities to assist those in arrears with their county council mortgages; the consideration that will be given to those who participated in the shared ownership scheme and now find themselves in negative equity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50044/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Government’s 2011 housing policy statement stood down 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 2000. The period for public submissions under this review closed on 27 September 2013. Consideration of these submissions is currently underway with a view to evaluating their content in the context of the review.

Earlier in 2013, I asked the Housing & Sustainable Communities Agency to conduct a standalone 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 an updated circular letter to local authorities shortly arising from some the Agency’s findings. However, a number of issues have been identified that need further detailed financial analysis in order fully to assess the impact on local authority finances of possible mitigating measures. This additional work is underway and I expect to make further determinations in the coming months.

On foot of the recommendations of the Keane Report on mortgage arrears the Government launched a mortgage to rent scheme, in respect of distressed mortgages in the commercial sector, on a pilot basis in February 2012. This scheme was extended nationally in June 2012, targeting those low income families whose mortgage situation is unsustainable and where there is little or no prospect of a significant change in circumstances in the foreseeable future. The scheme ensures that the family remains in their home, while ownership is transferred to an approved housing body who in turn rent it to the original owners. A pilot mortgage to rent scheme for the most acute cases of local authority mortgage arrears which was launched earlier in 2013 , in Westmeath Count y and Dublin City Councils, has now been completed. It is intended to implement this scheme throughout the local authority sector in the near future.