Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 July 2025
271. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, through his Department or local authorities, there is a policy to not allow purchase of four-bed houses through the tenant (incremental) purchase scheme 2016; if not, the number of four-bed houses have been purchased through this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36950/25]
View answer272. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of houses purchased through the tenant (incremental) purchase scheme 2016 since 2016 through Cork City Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36951/25]
View answer273. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of houses purchased through the tenant (incremental) purchase scheme since 2016 through Cork County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36952/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 271 to 273, inclusive, together.
The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme 2016 came into operation on 1 January 2016 and allows tenants of local authority houses to apply to purchase their home. The scheme is governed by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, as amended, and is open to eligible tenants of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme.
While the Regulations provide for specified classes of houses to be excluded from sale, they do not specifically exclude the sale of four-bed houses. That said, local authorities may, within the provisions of the regulations, exclude houses which they consider should not be sold for reasons such as proper stock or estate management. Such decisions are matters solely for local authorities having regard to their respective housing requirements.
Statistical information regarding the number of homes sold under the Scheme, from the beginning of the Scheme in 2016 until the end of 2023, broken down by local authority area, is also available from my Department’s website: www.gov.ie/en/collection/0906a-other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#sale-of-local-authority-houses.
Data for 2024 is being collected and collated. My Department does not collect data on the bed-size of the houses sold.
