Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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257. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to review the tenant purchase scheme in terms of the way in which it relates to rural cottages in cases which the dwelling was built on family land by a local authority and the tenant is in a position to purchase yet is prevented from doing so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52135/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The 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 and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year.

In line with the commitment given in the Rebuilding Ireland, a review of the first 12 months of the Tenant Purchase Scheme’s operation was undertaken. The review incorporated the analysis of comprehensive data received from local authorities regarding the operation of the scheme during 2016 which would have encompassed the potential sale of rural cottages. Furthermore, tenants of rural cottages were able to take part in a wide-ranging public consultation process that took place earlier in the year.  A number of submissions, which helped inform the review were received from individuals, elected representatives and organisations on many aspects of the scheme's operation during this process.

The review is now complete and a full report setting out findings and recommendations has been prepared and I expect to be in a position to publish the outcome of the review shortly.