Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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75. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of local authorities which excluded from their scheme tenants who do not occupy every bedroom in their house, with regard to the current tenant purchase scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33127/16]

Simon 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 and applies to all existing local authority houses, other than those classes of houses excluded under legislation. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having been in receipt of social housing support for a minimum period of one year and having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum.

The Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015 governing the Scheme provides for a number of specified classes of houses to be excluded from sale. Housing authorities may, within the provisions of the Regulations, 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. The Department does not hold any records relating to exclusions from the scheme by Local Authorities.

In line with the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Governmentand reaffirmed in Rebuilding Ireland- Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, it is intended that a review of the Scheme will be undertaken in January 2017 following the first 12 months of operation and any changes to the terms and conditions of the scheme which are considered necessary based on the evidence gathered at that stage will be brought forward.