asked the Minister for Local Government the costs which must be taken into consideration by a local authority in the preparation of a tenant purchase scheme.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tenant Purchase Scheme Costs.
15.
The Department's circular letters Nos. H 6/53 and H 13/56, which were issued to urban housing authorities, set out the bases on which schemes are normally prepared for the sale to tenants of houses provided under the Housing of the Working Classes Acts. Under the terms of the circulars, sale prices are generally related to the amount of loan outstanding in respect of the houses or, depending on the age of the houses, to a multiple of the current rents. I shall have copies of the circulars forwarded to the Deputy for his information.
The preparation by county councils of purchase schemes for labourers' cottages is governed by the Labourers Act, 1936. Cottages are purchased by terminable annuity related to a percentage of current rents. Costs incidental to the preparation of the schemes fall on the housing authority who also bear any expenses arising from their statutory obligation to put cottages into repair before vesting.
Will the Minister not agree that the application of these conditions makes it practically impossible for tenants of these houses to purchase their houses? Would he, having regard to this fact, bring in some adjustment of the conditions to make it possible for such tenants to purchase their houses? As the Minister will agree, these tenant purchase schemes are of interest only to people living in houses built for a considerable number of years and they do, therefore, make it impossible for tenants not living in houses for the last 20 years to take advantage of such very desirable schemes.
I am afraid I do not quite follow what it is the Deputy suggests should be done.