There is no provision at present in the voluntary housing schemes sector for the purchase of individual houses by tenants. However, my Department's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, indicated that consideration would be given in consultation with the voluntary and co-operative sector, to piloting a tenant purchase scheme for some new voluntary homes based on the incremental purchase model.
The modalities of such a scheme have been the subject of ongoing discussion between my Department and representatives of the voluntary and co-operative housing sector including the Irish Council for Social Housing and National Association of Building Co-operatives. My Department is liaising with a number of these organisations with a view to selecting a number of potential projects for inclusion in a pilot tenant purchase scheme. The introduction of such a scheme including any legislative element, will be determined as soon as possible.