Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 December 2016
200. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 244 of 24 May 2016, he will now consider changing legislation to allow residents of Part V housing to purchase their houses from their local authority, especially considering that the income stream will help the local authorities to fund additional housing stock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40623/16]
View answerThe Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016 and allows eligible local authority tenants to buy their homes. The Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015 governing the Scheme provide for a number of specified classes of house to be excluded from sale, including units provided to Local Authorities under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. The Part V provisions are designed to enable the development of mixed tenure, sustainable communities. Part V units are excluded from the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme to ensure that units delivered under this mechanism will remain available for people in need of social housing support and that the original policy goals of the legislation are not eroded over time. The continued development of mixed tenure communities remains very important in promoting social integration.
In line with the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government and reaffirmed in the Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, it is intended that a review of the Scheme will be initiated in January 2017 following its first 12 months of operation and any changes to the terms and conditions of the scheme which are considered necessary based on the evidence gathered at that stage will be brought forward.
