Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2015
1393. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the previously announced new tenant purchase scheme will be unveiled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30567/15]
View answer1405. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will urgently introduce the new tenant purchase scheme, as due to recent local authority rent reviews and subsequent increases, many tenants wish to avail of opportunities to purchase a house at an early date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30887/15]
View answer1418. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when a new tenant purchase scheme will become operational; the way the discount on the market value of the property will be calculated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31062/15]
View answer1427. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 528 of 6 May 2015, if he will report on progress on the tenant purchase scheme for 2015. [31127/15]
View answer1429. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to put in place a scheme whereby local authority tenants will be able to apply to their local authorities to purchase their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31185/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1393, 1405, 1418, 1427 and 1429 together.
Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides for a new scheme for the tenant purchase of existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines, similar to the schemes currently operating for local authority apartments and certain new local authority houses.
The Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020 includes a commitment to make the Regulations necessary for the scheme’s introduction, setting out the full details involved. The new scheme will commence at the earliest possible date following the making of the Regulations which are at an advanced stage of consideration and are expected to be finalised very shortly.
The scheme will operate along the lines of the incremental purchase model schemes currently operating, which involve discounts for purchasers linked to household income. The discount will be applied to the purchase price of the house to be determined by the local authority in accordance with the method to be prescribed in Regulations. It is intended to relate the purchase price of the house to its market value with replacement costs also being taken into account.
Full details of the scheme, including the income related discounts available to tenant purchasers, will be set out in the Regulations.
