asked the Minister for Local Government the net cost to the Exchequer of giving Dublin Corporation tenants who purchased their houses prior to 1973 a reduction of one-quarter in the number of years over which repayments have to be made.
8.
Written Answers. - Dublin Corporation Houses.
7.
asked the Minister for Local Government the net cost to the Exchequer of giving original purchasers of Dublin Corporation houses prior to 1973 who are still in possession of them a 25 per cent refund of the cash they paid to purchase them.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 7 and 8 together.
I assume that the questions relate to houses sold by Dublin Corporation under section 90 of the Housing Act, 1966, in accordance with sales schemes made prior to July, 1973. On the basis of information supplied by the corporation, it is estimated that the cost of giving tenants, who purchased their houses by annual instalments under these schemes, a reduction of one-quarter of the repayment period is £8 million. It is also estimated that the cost of giving the original outright purchasers of houses under these schemes a 25 per cent refund of the purchase price is £150,000. It is not possible to establish the number of these purchasers who are still in possession of their houses.
On the basis of the method of application of the proceeds of local authority house sales in 1976, 75 per cent of the cost accruing in that year of implementing the proposals would fall to be met by the Exchequer. The amount of money available to local authorities for housing capital expenditure would be reduced by the remaining 25 per cent of the cost of the proposals.