Purchase of Pre-1940 Local Authority Houses
Brennan argues that costly repairs make older local authority houses a burden and asks for a scheme to sell them to tenants. Quinn says a separate scheme is unwarranted because most eligible houses have already been purchased, though he invites details of local difficulties.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he will introduce a special purchase scheme applicable to local authorities to cover pre-1940 houses.
Comment on this
I do not consider that the introduction of a separate purchase scheme for pre-1940 local authority houses would be warranted.
Comment on this
The Minister should consider the fact that there are a number of pre-1940 local authority houses which are a burden on the county councils because of the large amount of money it would cost to repair them in relation to the prices being asked under the purchase scheme. Would the Minister consider introducing a scheme to allow councils to sell off these houses?
Comment on this
I am surprised that the Deputy has raised this matter because since the introduction in 1973 of the revised house purchase scheme the Department of the Environment state that the vast majority of pre-1940 local authority dwellings have been acquired by their tenants. While I accept that the cost of repairing those local authority houses would be excessive relative to the purchase cost to an occupant with reasonable years of tenancy, the Deputy appears to be talking about a minority problem. If he has particular difficulties in relation to local authority houses in his own constituency he should deal with the county manager or write to the Minister for the Environment.