Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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697. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the rights of appeal that exist to Rebuilding Ireland home loan decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50297/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan was introduced on 1 February 2018 under the Housing (Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan) Regulations 2018. The Scheme enables local authorities to provide home loans in accordance with the criteria set out in the Regulations and the Statutory Credit Policy. The Housing Agency has been tasked with carrying out assessments of loan applications on behalf of local authorities and making recommendations in respect of each application

Under the Regulations it is a matter for each local authority to make the decision on loan approval applications. Under the Statutory Credit Policy each authority must establish a Credit Committee to consider these applications on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Statutory Credit Policy and having regard to the recommendations of the Housing Agency.

The Statutory Credit Policy also obliges local authorities to establish an appeals process under which applicants, who are dissatisfied with a decision of a Credit Committee, may appeal that decision. Details of the appeals process can be obtained from the relevant local authority.

Following the conclusion of the local authority's appeals process, if a loan applicant remains dissatisfied with the outcome and considers that they have been treated unfairly, then they can request that the Office of the Ombudsman examines the case. The Ombudsman can examine complaints about the actions of a range of public bodies, and local authority house loans are among the areas that they are permitted to examine.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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698. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if shared rights of way are sufficient criteria to refuse a Rebuilding Ireland home loan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50298/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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While shared rights of way are not a stated criteria for refusal of a Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan prudential lending practices require a clear and unambiguous title as security for a loan. Although a prospective purchaser of a home may enjoy a shared right of way with another party at the point of purchase, this arrangement may not always be easily observed. The presence of such a right of way could also impair the purchaser's ability to resell the property and could subsequently adversely affect the value of the asset.

In relation to self-build applications, the statutory Credit Policy states that the applicant's solicitor must confirm that there are no easements, way leaves or rights of way in favour of or over subject property and that the site must have access to the public road over land in the applicant's boundaries.

As the final decision on whether to approve or issue a loan rests with the relevant local authority's Credit Committee, they must be satisfied that appropriate legal documentation has been provided in order to protect the future value of the asset for both the borrower and the State.