Housing Schemes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 September 2022

Wednesday, 21 September 2022

Questions (53)

Bríd Smith

Question:

53. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 217 of 14 September 2022, the way that the twin goals of sustainable communities and long term tenancies are advanced in the case of a tenant who has resided in a council home for over 30 years and who has recently married, yet now finds that they are barred and delayed from availing of this scheme due to the new ruling that both tenants in a joint tenancy must have 10 years on housing supports before availing of the scheme; If he considers this reasonable; if it discriminates against long-term tenants who marry or have a new partner who becomes a joint tenant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46145/22]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme was reviewed in 2021 in line with Programme for Government and Housing for All commitments, with a number of changes subsequently coming into effect from 1 February 2022.

The changes include a reduction in the minimum reckonable income required to be eligible under the scheme from €15,000 to €12,500. The time an applicant is required to be in receipt of social housing supports to be able to apply under the scheme has also been revised. This has been increased from one to ten years.

Applications received by local authorities prior to 1 February 2022 should be assessed per the regulations and requirements in place at the time, with applications received thereafter assessed in accordance with the new requirements.

Increasing the time required to be in receipt of social housing supports speaks directly to the underpinning policy rationales for the scheme, namely encouraging good long-term tenants to stay in their homes and helping build more socially sustainable communities. The rules that apply to single tenancies in respect of length of tenure therefore also apply to both parties in a joint tenancy.

Further changes may be considered in the longer-term as part of my Department's work on the broader social housing reform agenda.