Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 2nd November, 2012.

I, JAN O-�SULLIVAN, Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government by sections 5 and 90 (7) of the Housing Act, 1966 (No. 21 of 1966), as adapted by the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 ( S.I. No. 193 of 2011 ), which powers are delegated to me by the Environment, Community and Local Government (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2012 ( S.I. No. 148 of 2012 ), hereby make the following regulations:

1. (a) These regulations may be cited as the Housing (Sale of Houses) Regulations 2012.

(b) These regulations come into operation on 1 November 2012.

2. In these regulations, "purchase scheme" means a purchase scheme adopted by a housing authority with effect from 1 May 1995 under section 90 of the Housing Act 1966 (No. 21 of 1966).

3. The period within which a housing authority shall receive an application by a tenant to acquire a dwelling under a purchase scheme shall end on 31 December 2012.

4. The period in respect of which a purchase scheme applies shall end on 31 December 2013 and a housing authority may not sell a dwelling under a purchase scheme after that date.

GIVEN under my hand,

31 October 2012.

JAN O-�SULLIVAN,

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These regulations prescribe 31 December 2012 as the last day on which a housing authority shall accept an application to purchase a dwelling under the 1995 tenant purchase scheme for local authority housing, and 31 December 2013 as the last day on which an authority may sell a dwelling under the scheme.