Written answers

Friday, 16 September 2016

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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642. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if improvements will be introduced to the tenant purchase scheme to enable Part V tenants that are in a financial position to purchase their homes participate in this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26038/16]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The new Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum, have been in receipt of social housing support for at least 1 year and have been allocated a house under a local authority allocation scheme. Housing authorities may, within the provisions of the Regulations governing the scheme – the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015 – exclude certain houses which, in the opinion of the authority, should not be sold for reasons such as proper stock or estate management. It is a matter for each individual housing authority to administer the scheme in its operational area in line with the over-arching provisions of the governing legislation for the scheme, and in a manner appropriate to its housing requirements.

Notwithstanding this, the provisions of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, are designed to enable the development of mixed tenure sustainable communities. Part V units are excluded from the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme to ensure that units delivered under this mechanism will remain available for people in need of social housing support and that the original policy goals of the legislation are not eroded over time. The continued development of mixed tenure communities remains very important in promoting social integration.

In line with the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government,reaffirmed in Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness,I intend to undertake a review of the scheme in January 2017 following the first 12 months of operation and I will bring forward any changes to the terms and conditions of the scheme which are considered necessary based on the evidence gathered at that stage.

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