Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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471. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to allow tenants living in homes provided under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to purchase their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63198/21]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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549. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to review the tenant incremental purchase scheme to allow those who were tenants of Part V houses prior to the introduction of the regulations to proceed with the purchase of their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1865/22]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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581. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he plans to introduce a new tenant purchase scheme for tenants of social houses, including Part V houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2038/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 471, 549, 581 and 610 together.

The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. The scheme is governed by the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015. These regulations provide for specified classes of houses to be excluded from sale, including those provided to local authorities under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

The Part V provisions seek to promote social integration and secure mixed tenure, sustainable communities. Accordingly, Part V properties are excluded from the scheme to ensure the original policy goals of the legislation are not eroded over time and the properties remain available for people most in need of social housing support.

In line with commitments in Housing for All, A New Housing Plan for Ireland, I recently introduced changes to the Tenant Purchase Scheme. These included inter alia revising the minimum income criteria for applicants downwards from €15,000 to €12,500, thereby allowing older tenants in particular (whose only income might be the contributory or non-contributory State pension) to buy their homes if they have the means.