Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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293. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if changes to the incremental purchase scheme have been made to enable tenants who may not have an earned income but have savings to purchase their house form local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5848/22]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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294. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if tenants who have a two-bedroom house can purchase their property under the tenant purchase schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5849/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 293 and 294 together.

The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Schemeis open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme.

The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides that the Minister may set out a minimum income required to purchase under the scheme. The minimum income requirement has a dual purpose - it ensures the scheme is sustainable and the tenant purchasing the house has the financial means to maintain and insure the property for the duration of the charged period.

Government has recently reduced the minimum reckonable income required under the scheme from €15,000 to €12,500. This means older tenants, whose only income might be the contributory or non-contributory State pension, are now eligible to buy their homes if they have the financial means to do so. These changes came into effect on 1st February 2022.

Local authorities may exclude certain houses from sale which, in their opinion, should not be sold for reasons such as proper stock or estate management. It is a matter for each individual local authority to administer the scheme in line with the over-arching provisions of the governing legislation, and in a manner appropriate to its housing requirements.

The scheme is currently being examined as part of the work on the broader social housing reform agenda.