Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 September 2014
1505. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to review the fixed-term tenant purchase scheme or other such schemes to allow persons who previously owned a home or who are non-first-time buyers to be allowed to engage in the purchase of property from a local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33343/14]
View answer1513. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when local authorities will be told that they can put a scheme in place allowing tenants of local authority houses to purchase their homes. [33425/14]
View answer1527. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which a new tenant purchase scheme will be put in place for council tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33768/14]
View answer1550. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to re-open the tenant purchase scheme for local authority tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34091/14]
View answer1555. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the timeframe for the introduction of a tenant purchase scheme as provided for in legislation earlier this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34128/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1505, 1513, 1527, 1550 and 1555 together.
Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides for a new scheme for the tenant purchase of existing local authority houses. This scheme will replace the 1995 and 2011 tenant purchase schemes under section 90 of the Housing Act 1966, which closed in June 2014 and June 2013, respectively.
The new scheme will be open to local authority tenants in receipt of social housing support for a prescribed period of at least one year who have not previously purchased a house under a tenant purchase scheme and who have an annual income equal to or greater than a prescribed amount. I intend to make the necessary statutory instruments later this year to enable the new scheme to come into operation.
