Written answers

Tuesday, 18 September 2018

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Home Loan Scheme

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

783. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the way in which persons (details supplied) did not meet the criteria for the Rebuilding Ireland home loan; if an appeals process is available to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37148/18]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Following a review of the two existing local authority home loan schemes, the House Purchase Loan and the Home Choice Loan, a new loan offering, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, was introduced on 1 February 2018.

Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions. Section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 specifically provides that the Minister's power to issue policy directions and guidelines to housing authorities in relation to their housing functions should not be construed as enabling the Minister to exercise any power or control in relation to any individual case with which a housing authority is or may be concerned.

The final decision on loan approval is a matter for each local authority and its Credit Committee on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with the statutory credit policy that underpins the scheme, in order to ensure consistency of treatment for all applicants.

Loan applicants who are dissatisfied with a loan application decision of a local authority Credit Committee may appeal that decision to the local authority. Details of the appeals process can be obtained from the relevant local authority

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

784. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of applicants in County Donegal that have applied for the Rebuilding Ireland home loan; the number of successful applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37149/18]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As with the previous local authority home loan offerings, loan applications under the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan are made directly to the local authority in whose area the property proposed for purchase is situated.

My Department continues to publish information on the overall number and value of (i) local authority loan approvals and (ii) local authority loan drawdowns. Information up to Q4 2017 is available on the Department's website at the following link:, and this information will be updated on a quarterly basis as additional data is compiled.

The Housing Agency provides a central support service which assesses loan applications that are made to the local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities as to whether loans should be offered to applicants.

I have asked the Agency to centrally compile figures on the numbers of applications it has recommended to approve by local authority. The most recent figures, as at the end of August are displayed in the following table –

Local AuthorityIn ProcessInvalidRecommended to ApproveRecommended to DeclineTotal
Donegal County Council0312823

Each local authority must have in place a credit committee and it is a matter for the committee to make the final decision on all loan applications, in accordance with the regulations, having regard to the recommendations made by the Housing Agency.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.