Vol. 567 No. 1
390 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the criteria laid down for eligibility for the shared ownership scheme; if an Irish national can be refused under the scheme due to the fact that his or her partner is a non-national; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13343/03]
The eligibility criteria for the shared ownership scheme require that an applicant is in need of housing and satisfies an income test, or is approved for local authority housing, or is a tenant or tenant purchaser returning their house to the local authority, or is a tenant of more than one year of a house provided under the capital loan and subsidy scheme which is being returned to the local authority.
Implementation and management of the shared ownership scheme, including determination of eligibility, is a matter for each housing authority.
391 Mr. Andrews asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the percentage of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council's capital allocation for housing which was drawn down in 2002. [13387/03]
Housing capital allocations to local authorities, including Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, consist of Exchequer capital grants combined with the use of internal capital receipts. These allocations relate to the main local authority housing construction-acquisition programme, the provision of extensions to local authority houses, the undertaking of improvement works in lieu of local authority housing, the undertaking of remedial works to existing local authority housing and the provision of Traveller accommodation.
In 2002 the housing capital allocation to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council amounted to €6.6 million. Actual expenditure was €27.814 million, or 107.4% of allocation, of which Exchequer grants amounted to €24.814 million and the remainder was funded from internal capital receipts.
392 Mr. Andrews asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his views on whether a special provision is needed in the operation of the shared ownership scheme in parts of the country where prices are greater than others in order that the income limits may not be inappropriate. [13388/03]
The income limit for eligibility for the shared ownership scheme was revised and increased marginally to €32,000 for a single income household, with a pro rata increase for a dual income household, following the introduction of the euro on 1 January 2002. The terms of the scheme are continuously kept under review by my Department.
