Vol. 491 No. 2
124 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will consider reverting back to the old system whereby tenants of local authority dwellings were able to purchase their dwelling under a tenant purchase scheme on a weekly rent basis in view of the escalation in the cost of local authority housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11596/98]
The financing arrangements, whereby tenants have a choice of obtaining a local authority loan or one from a commercial lending agency, enables tenant purchasers to avail of the most attractive terms available. Where a loan is obtained from a local authority, the authority may offer alternative ways of making repayments, including, where appropriate, on a weekly basis. The tenant purchase scheme is, generally, working satisfactorily with over 2,000 sales completed under the scheme in each of the last two years and I have no proposals to amend its terms at present.
