Tenant purchase scheme approved

Dublin city council flats should be offered for sale to tenants at 1988 prices, councillors have said.

City councillors last night approved a tenant purchase scheme which could see flats going on sale from next January. Councillors from all parties said tenants should not be asked to pay market values.

Council house tenants have been allowed to buy their houses from the local authority since 1966, but this option was not extended to flat-dwellers, largely because of the difficulties associated with managing communal areas.

In 1988, the council attempted to introduce a scheme for flat tenants. However, it proved unworkable and was withdrawn.

A number of councillors, including Sinn Féin's Christy Burke and Labour's Mary Murphy and Aodhan O'Riordain, said that tenants should not be penalised by the past failure to administer the scheme and should have an opportunity to buy at 1988 prices. Other councillors, including Mick Rafferty (Independent), said that tenants should be given their flats free. All councillors agreed that money gained from any sales should be ring-fenced for social housing.

Assistant city manager Brendan Kenny said that the details of the scheme would be determined by the Department of the Environment, but it was unlikely that flats could be given away.