Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2013
774. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is any tenant purchase scheme in place since 31 December 2012 for tenants of local authorities to buy out their houses; if it is intended to introduce such a scheme again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16375/13]
View answerThere is no tenant purchase scheme in place for existing local authority houses since the 1995 scheme closed for new applications on 31 December 2012. However, two tenant purchase schemes by way of incremental purchase remain in operation, one for newly-built local authority houses and the other for existing local authority apartments.
It is intended to advance the necessary legislative proposals as soon as practicable to underpin an incremental purchase scheme for existing local authority houses. Such a scheme will involve discounts for tenants, linked to household income and a discount-related charge on the property that will dwindle away over a period unless the house is resold or the purchaser fails to comply with conditions of the sale. The precise terms of the new scheme will be set out in regulations when the enabling legislation is enacted.
