Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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491. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if funding will be made available to Westmeath County Council to purchase houses to enable persons that have lived in such houses as rented accommodation and which are now being disposed of by financial institutions and in which the purchase thereof would prevent homeless situations arising; if so, the criteria for making such funding available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20125/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides funding to local authorities to acquire a range of properties for social housing use. Identifying and undertaking such social housing acquisitions is largely delegated to local authorities, so that they may respond flexibly to all opportunities to provide new social housing.  Such funding is also provided on the basis that the houses are suitable for social housing use and suitable also across a range of other considerations including value for money, design, planning and other compliances. As the housing authority for its area, it is a matter in the first case for Westmeath County Council to determine the suitability of any units for acquisition.