Plans to change the conditions of the tenant purchase incremental scheme

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government his plans to change the conditions of the tenant purchase incremental scheme 2016 due to the small take-up of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY

The Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015 provide the basis for the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme for existing local authority houses. 

The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme.  To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year.

In line with the commitment given in the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness, a review of the operation of the first 12 months of the Tenant Purchase Scheme has been finalised and a full report has been prepared setting out findings and recommendations.   This has included an examination of the minimum income requirements of the scheme.

What is intended now is that a comprehensive package of social housing reform measures will be brought to Government in the near future and the review of the Tenant Purchase Scheme will be included in that package, with the report to be published thereafter.   Until such time as these reforms are completed, the 2016 scheme remains open and is being utilised.