AQW 2438/16-21

Ms Michaela Boyle
Sinn Féin
West Tyrone

Tabled Date: 06/09/2016
Answered On Date: 14/09/2016
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities , since the introduction of the Statutory House Sale Scheme, (i) whether there has been any flexibility made to allow a person to purchase a bungalow when their tenancy date was after 1 September 2002; (ii) if so, what was the criteria for allowing the flexibility; (iii) how many times has this been allowed; and (iv) in which areas did this occur.

Answer:

The House Sales Scheme is a statutory scheme (under the provisions of Article 3 of the Housing (NI) Order 1983 as inserted by Article 96 of the Housing (NI) Order 1992). The Housing Executive has advised that there is no flexibility available to allow a person to purchase a bungalow when their tenancy date was after 1 September 2002.

Consequently as the legislation allows no flexibility, no criteria exist and none has been applied in any area.