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Tenant Purchase Scheme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 November 2020

Wednesday, 18 November 2020

Questions (80)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

80. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of tenant purchase scheme applications received by Kerry County Council since the launch of the new scheme in January 2016; the number disallowed due to the fact they could not meet the income threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37329/20]

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Written answers

The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016.  The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year

Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions. The Minister is precluded by housing legislation from intervening in relation to the procedures followed, or decisions made, by local authorities in relation to the operation of the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme.

As my Department does not routinely collate information on the number of tenant purchase applications made or refused, the data requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department. Data on the number of tenant purchases (sale of dwellings by local authorities) completed is available at:

https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/attachments/3l1-sale-la-hse-area-1994-2019.xlsx

A review of the first 12 months of the Scheme’s operation has been undertaken. In addition, the Programme for Government commits to maintaining the right of social housing tenants to purchase their own home with some changes to eligibility. The review and the commitments in the Programme for Government are being examined as part of the work on the broader social housing reform agenda. I expect to be in a position to finalise changes to the Scheme once the work on these reform measures is complete.

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