Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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252. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of local authority mortgage loans that have been approved through local authority schemes, including the home choice loan scheme, in 2015 and to date in 2016; his views on the fact that loans administered by local authorities can play a greater role in accessing mortgages for middle income households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19527/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The main house purchase loan currently available from local authorities is the standard annuity mortgage, targeted at lower income first time buyers. The relevant terms and conditions applying to local authority housing loans are set out in the following regulations – the Housing (Home Choice Loan) Regulations 2009 – available at - and the Housing (Local Authority Loans) Regulations 2012 – available at .

To support local authorities in operating their housing loan schemes in a consistent and efficient manner, the Housing Agency provides a central underwriting service to local authorities. The final decision on loan approval is a matter for the relevant local authority and its credit committee on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the relevant statutory Credit Policy that underpins the scheme.

The information requested in relation to new loans advanced by local authorities in 2015 is available on my Department’s website at:by clicking on the link entitled, “LA loans paid by year 1976 to date”. Information on new loans advanced by local authorities to date in 2016 is not yet available; the Q1 2016 statistics are being finalised and will be published on my Department’s website as soon as possible.

I will continue to keep the operation of the local authority housing loan schemes under review.