Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 8 Dec 1998

Vol. 498 No. 1

Written Answers. - Local Authority Housing.

Jim Mitchell

Ceist:

281 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will direct local authorities to make flats available for purchase to the tenants thereof in order that they will have the same rights as tenants of local authority houses; the reason this has not been done up to now; if the difficulties have now been overcome; if not, the steps he is taking to overcome these problems; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the problems have been overcome in private flat complexes here and in public flat complexes abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26604/98]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

A detailed examination of the issues that arise in relation to the sale of local authority flats concluded that no practical arrangement could be made which would be satisfactory to tenant purchasers or local authorities or even to other tenants in a flat complex who would not wish to purchase. The three main reasons why local authority flats would be a bad buy for tenants relate to the level of service charges that would be necessary; public liability insurance; and the future saleability of purchased flats.

These matters were outlined in detail in the 1996 policy document Social Housing — The Way Ahead, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library.

Local authorities were, therefore, advised that flats should not be offered for sale under the current tenant purchase scheme, but that authorities should give consideration to the sale of maisonettes, particularly those which do not have common areas, where satisfactory arrangements, not involving the difficulties that arise in the case of flats, could be devised.

The difficulties and disadvantages for tenants of purchasing local authority flats which have been clearly identified still apply and, consequently, there are no proposals to amend the scheme in this respect.