James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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497. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to amend SI No. 408 of 2012 to give local authorities the ability to assess mortgage applications from discharged bankrupts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47686/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The terms and conditions governing the operation of the standard annuity House Purchase Loan provided by local authorities to first-time buyers were set out most recently in the Housing (Local Authority Loans) Regulations 2012. To support local authorities in operating their housing loan scheme in a consistent and efficient manner, the Housing Agency provides a central credit assessment 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. Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with this statutory credit policy in order to ensure prudence and consistency in approaches in the best interests of both borrowers and the lending local authorities.  Prohibited categories of borrowers include applicants who are deemed bankrupt or are currently subject to bankruptcy.  The pertinent issue in assessing a loan application is that the loan applicant must have a satisfactory credit record.  This requirement applies to all loan applicants including those who may have availed of bankruptcy or other alternatives to bankruptcy.