Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2021
442. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the up to date position regarding the ability of homeowners (details supplied) in County Kildare to purchase their own homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21327/21]
View answerThe 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.
The Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, governing the Scheme provide the basis for the current Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme, which allows local authorities to sell local authority owned dwellings to existing social housing tenants. The Scheme does not extend to houses owned by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) as the ownership of these properties remains with the AHB concerned.
My Department cannot unilaterally make provision for the sale of AHB homes to their tenants as the ownership of these properties remains with the AHB. If an AHB is in receipt of funding under a scheme, they must comply with the terms and conditions of that scheme. Under such schemes, the AHB is required to make the property available for social renting for the duration of the mortgage or, as the case may be, the availability agreement.
Under the terms of the various funding schemes supporting the delivery of social housing by AHBs, AHBs are the legal owners of the properties and must make them available for social renting for the duration of the mortgage or, as the case may be, the availability agreement. On expiry of the mortgage period and subject to compliance with the terms of the funding agreement, the AHB becomes the owner of the property.
If a property is owned outright by an AHB and it is not subject to public funding, the AHB may choose to sell that property, once this is allowed for in their constitution. It should be noted that AHBs must have, as their primary objectives, the relief of housing needs, and the provision and management of housing included within their memorandum of association or registered rules, as the case may be.
