Written answers

Thursday, 22 November 2018

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Home Loan Scheme

Photo of Joan CollinsJoan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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216. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the next tranche of moneys will be provided for the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme (details supplied). [48748/18]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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My Department has sanctioned sufficient funding to local authorities in order to approve loans under the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme (RIHL).

In relation to the specific case that the Deputy has raised, she will be aware that under Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions. In addition, under Section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, 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. As such, I am precluded from intervening in relation to individual cases.

Under the Regulations that govern the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan it is a matter for each local authority to make the decision on loan approval applications. Each authority must establish a Credit Committee, in accordance with the  statutory Credit Policy, to consider these applications on a case-by-case basis, having regard to the recommendations of the assessment of applications undertaken by the Housing Agency.

The statutory Credit Policy also obliges local authorities to establish an appeals process to which applicants, who are dissatisfied with a decision of a Credit Committee, may appeal that decision.  It is therefore open to the persons referred to by the Deputy to make such an appeal. Details of the appeals process can be obtained from the relevant local authority.

In relation to the details supplied by the Deputy, I am advised that the relevant Local Authority has sufficient financial capacity to address the application referred to.

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