Vol. 469 No. 3
78 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for the Environment whether he is considering amending the 1995 tenant purchase sales scheme in view of the fact that many applicants are ineligible due to the fact that they cannot obtain the necessary loan on the grounds of insufficient income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17166/96]
There are no proposals to amend the terms of the 1995 tenant purchase scheme. Local authority housing is provided for persons on low incomes and, at any time, certain tenants will not be in a position financially to undertake tenant purchase. The 1995 scheme made purchase more affordable to tenants by increasing the discounts and including, for the first time, an option to purchase by way of shared ownership. The necessary mortgage finance for either an outright or a shared ownership purchase may be obtained from the local authority. In the case of an outright purchase, the applicant also has the choice of applying for a loan from a commercial lending agency.
