Written answers
Tuesday, 5 March 2019
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Local Authority Housing Mortgages
Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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578. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to problems being experienced with the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme in which, due to a lack of a national database of applicants, multiple applications have been made to different councils by the same persons; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that this practice is delaying other applications by up to six months due to the fact those multiple applications stay on the system until they expire after six months, thus causing others to lose out; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that up to 50% of the loan offers are duplicated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10397/19]
Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with the Regulations establishing the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme, the local authorities are the statutory bodies responsible for approving and issuing mortgages under the scheme. Each authority has a credit committee, which is responsible for making the decisions, within its area, regarding loan applications. Applications for a Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan are not therefore transferable between local authorities. However, applicants are free to apply to any local authority they choose as long as they meet the eligibility criteria for a loan and my Department is aware that in some instances people have made applications to a number of authorities. The Housing Agency, which provides a central assessment service for loan applications on behalf of the local authorities, estimates that this has occurred in 18% of cases.
My Department undertook a review of the operation of the scheme late last year. Based on data supplied to it as part of that review, the Department has estimated that time frame for applicants receiving a decision from local authorities is in the region of 6 to 8 weeks.
A letter of loan offer is valid for a period of 6 months from date of issue, subject to the terms and conditions contained therein.
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