andMr. McMahon asked the Minister for Local Government whether he will introduce proposals for legislation to enable schemes for the purchase by council tenants of their houses to have regard to the valuation of the houses at the date of the commencement of the tenancies, to the number of years of occupancy by each tenant and to the total amount of rent already paid in respect of each such house.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tenant Purchase Schemes.
72.
Mr. O'Higgins
The statutory provisions governing the sale of local authority houses to tenants require sale prices to be based on the market or replacement value of the houses. These prices are reduced by a discount of 3 per cent for each year after five during which a purchaser has continuously been tenant of any local authority dwelling, subject to a maximum discount of 45 per cent for houses which are not in a built-up area. The discount is 2 per cent and 30 per cent respectively in a built-up area. These terms are designed to conform with the principle that in disposing of any property held by them in a corporate capacity on behalf of the local community, local authorities are obliged to sell at a fair and reasonable price. The fact that 70 local authorities have so far made schemes covering more than 60,000 houses and that already over 12,000 of these have been or are in the process of being purchased by the tenants indicates general acceptance of this principle.
Surely the Minister is aware that the question is in relation to the council houses in County Dublin? The fact remains that although the purchase scheme which the Minister has approved was brought into operation in October, 1971, only two people out of many hundreds in the county have availed of this scheme. Under this scheme Dublin County Council are selling houses in Tallaght at £3,325 which cost £2,320 plus the fact that the tenants in these houses have already paid over £1,000 and some of them up to £1,200 in rent in the meantime. I consider this to be a great injustice to these people. They are not being encouraged to purchase their houses under the scheme.
Further arising from the Minister's reply today and last Thursday, he said he had no power to vary the price in an approved scheme during the period for which the scheme was valid. I do not agree because he has already varied the price in relation to houses at Stillorgan for Dublin County Council. The tenants now on strike are looking for better terms and surely he could consider approving a scheme giving them better terms so that they would have the opportunity of purchasing their houses?
We cannot debate the whole matter now.
This does not relate to the question asked.
Could the Minister consider giving the 2 per cent allowance for occupancy as from the date of occupancy rather than from the sixth year, as it is at the moment?
The Deputy, in asking a supplementary question, said the question referred to the tenants in certain parts of Dublin county. The question did not refer to any particular local authority area and therefore I do not think the remainder of the question arises.