Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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558. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to relax the current rule affecting persons who bought properties under the affordable housing scheme whereby they are not allowed to rent out the property; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this is causing considerable difficulties for persons whose circumstances may have changed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4207/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Government’s 2011 Housing Policy Statement announced the standing down of all affordable housing schemes in the context of a full review of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2013 , which provided the basis for affordable housing schemes. It must be recognised that the primary objective of the affordable homes schemes was to enable households who would otherwise not have been in a position to purchase a home to own a house in which they would reside . The new approach to the provision of social housing adopted in the Housing Policy Statement was mindful of both the changed context arising from the collapse of the housing market, and its impact on individual households.

Details regarding the review of Part V are available on my Department’s website . The period for public submissions has closed and submissions from a variety of interested parties are now under consideration.

I expect to be in a position to formulate future policy approaches and actions, including in relation to affordable housing, taking account of the consultation process, in the near future.