Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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286. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if there is a means to resolve cases where the advice provided by a departmental help desk differs from the decision taken by his Department (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9423/21]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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322. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if there are instances in which the 175 sq. m of gross floor area eligibility criteria for the Rebuilding Ireland home loan have been viewed with a degree of flexibility; if so, the basis on which this flexibility is applied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10046/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 322 together.

The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme is administered by the local authorities, in accordance with the Housing (Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan) Regulations 2018.

Under the Housing (Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan) Regulations 2018 a loan cannot be issued where the house has a gross internal floor area of 175 square metres or more. It is therefore not possible for a local authority to approve a loan for a property with a gross internal floor area of more than 175 square metres.

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.

The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Call Centre can provide advice to applicants based on the details applicants choose to give it. However, it does not have access to the full details of an application and it is not its role to make a determination on an application.

However, the local authority who the applicants applied to do have access to the full application and the final decision on loan approval is a matter for each local authority and its Credit Committee on a case-by-case basis.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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287. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if there is an independent appeals process for a scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9426/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme 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.

Each local authority must have an Appeals Process in place to allow a dissatisfied applicant to appeal a loan application decision of the credit committee. An Appeals Panel should comprise of personnel not involved in the original decision which is the subject of the appeal.

Details of the appeals process can be obtained from the relevant local authority.