Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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104. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to amend the Planning and Development Act 2000; if consideration will be given to assisting families who need to sell their houses through the affordable housing scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24831/14]

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. Details regarding the review are available on my Department’s website:

Action 9 of the recently published Construction 2020 – A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sectorprovides that the review of Part V will be completed in Q2 of 2014. It is anticipated that any legislative changes required on foot of the review will be incorporated into the General Scheme of a Planning Bill, which is currently in preparation.

The claw-back provision under section 99 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, is intended to prevent short-term profit taking on the resale of the house to the detriment of the objectives of the scheme. However, where a person is selling and the clawback amount payable would reduce the proceeds of resale below the initial price actually paid, the legislation provides for the amount of the clawback payable to be reduced to the extent necessary to avoid that result. Legal and auctioneering fees are costs which vendors bear separately, as do all other owner-occupiers who choose to sell their home.