Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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132. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on ground rent (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17081/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will appreciate that I am not in a position as Minister for Justice and Equality to comment on any specific case of payment of a ground rent by the holder of the leasehold interest to the owner of the freehold interest.

The general position regarding ground rents is that section 2 of the Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) Act 1978 introduced a prohibition on the creation of new leases reserving ground rents on dwellings. As regards remaining ground rents, Part III of the Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) (No.2) Act 1978 contains a statutory scheme whereby the holder of a leasehold interest may, at reasonable cost, acquire the fee simple in his or her dwelling. To date, over 80,000 applicants have acquired freehold title to their property under this scheme. Comprehensive details of the manner in which the fee simple can be purchased under this scheme are available on the Property Registration Authority's website (www.prai.ie).