Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 May 2020
1254. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when affordable purchase guidelines will be issued to each local authority in terms of the affordable housing scheme. [4483/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe current statutory basis for affordable housing (referred to as "affordable dwelling purchase arrangements") is set out in Part 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which was commenced in June 2018.
Regulations pursuant to Part 5 were made on 22 March 2019, dealing with the making of Schemes of Priority and other procedural matters in connection with affordable dwelling purchase arrangements, including advertising by housing authorities, applications, etc. The purpose of a Scheme of Priority is to set out the affordable purchase arrangements at local authority level. This includes the methodology that will be applied by local authorities to determine the order of priority to be accorded to eligible households where the demand for such affordable dwellings exceeds the number available.
In line with the legal requirements of the Affordable Dwelling Purchase Arrangements, further Regulations are currently being developed regarding eligibility and other matters. When the operational procedures for the scheme are finalised, and before dwellings are made available for purchase under the scheme later this year, a programme of communication will be undertaken by my Department and local authorities.
Draft Guidelines on Part 5 were also issued to local authorities by my Department in March 2019. These Guidelines will be updated and finalised following the making of the new Regulations referred to above.
