Changes will enable Donegal pensioners to buy council homes on income of €12,500

Approved changes to the Tenant Purchase Scheme will now enable Donegal pensioners to buy their council home, it has confirmed.

The Department of Housing said the order and revised guidelines of the scheme were issued to all local authorities on Friday. The changes follow a Cabinet decision in December and mean that the minimum annual income for pensioners under the scheme is lowered to €12,500.

It was signed off by Cabinet earlier in the year, but it was only signed off this week by Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien.

Commenting, the Donegal based Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, said:

“This amendment to the Tenant Purchase Scheme is a sensible and important move and will allow pensioners to buy their home. I welcome this move and I know it will provide comfort to many people in Donegal who want to purchase their home from the council.”

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As far back as January 2021 Donegal Fianna Fáil Cllr Michéal Naughton said then pending new legislation would allow pensioners to purchase their council homes. 

Under previous regulations pensioners were not allowed to purchase their council homes because “they are not in receipt of regular income” other than their social welfare payments". 

Cllr. Naughton along with party colleagues met with Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien in April 2021 and this was one of the issues that was highlighted to him.

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Cllr. Naughton sais at the time: ‘Pensioners should have option to buy their council home where they can reasonably demonstrate that they have the means and resources to do so.’ 

Under previous applications, tenants had to earn a minimum annual income of €15,000. This has now been lowered to €12,500, but will only apply to pensioners.

Cllr Naughton said there are cases where people are not actually retired but maybe coming up to retirement and want that peace of mind and security by buying their house.

Under the existing regulations they were being denied this opportunity.