Concerns have been raised that the €15,000 minimum threshold on the Tenant Purchase Scheme will prevent carers from purchasing their own homes.

The threshold currently excludes payments such as Carer's Allowance, Child Benefit and Family Income Supplement.

Fianna Fáil TD for Sligo-Leitrim Eamon Scanlon described some of the conditions as "overly restrictive".

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He said: "This is National Carers Week, and here we have another example of carers not being recognised for the work that they do. I appreciate that the number of carers applying for this scheme may be relatively low, but they should not be discriminated against. It is completely unfair that the Department of Housing is failing to recognise the important work that carers carry out. I am urging Minister Simon Coveney and his officials to re-examine the criteria relating to the Tenant Purchase Scheme and to allow some flexibility in exceptional cases."

(CD/MH)