6.—(1) A housing authority may, on such terms and conditions (including conditions requiring the giving of undertakings) as they think fit, assist—

(a) another housing authority F11[…], or

(b) F12[subject to subsection (8A), an approved housing body,]

in respect of the provision (whether provided by erection, purchase, improvement or conversion works) or management by the other authority F13[or approved housing body] of housing accommodation, or in respect of other matters in relation to housing.

(2) Assistance under subsection (1) may be given in one or more of the following ways—

(a) by a loan;

(b) by a periodic contribution to the funds of the other authority or F14[approved housing body];

(c) by a guarantee of sums owed by the other authority or F14[approved housing body] in respect of borrowings;

(d) by a grant;

(e) by a subsidy towards, or the remission in whole or in part of, loan charges incurred by the other authority or F14[approved housing body];

F15[(ea) by providing a dwelling of which the housing authority is the owner (including a house provided under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000) to another housing authority referred to in subsection (1)(a) or a F16[an approved housing body] referred to in subsection (1)(b), under a contract or lease between the housing authority which owns the dwelling concerned and another housing authority referred to in subsection (1)(a) or a F16[an approved housing body] referred to in subsection (1)(b);]

(f) by a contribution in kind, whether by way of materials or labour or any other service.

(3) A guarantee under this section may be given by the housing authority either alone or jointly with any other person or persons (including a housing authority).

(4) Where a housing authority have under this section assisted another housing authority F17[or an approved housing body] and, as a condition of providing such assistance, have been given an undertaking which has not been complied with, the following provisions shall have effect:

(a) the authority F17[or approved housing body] who received the assistance shall be liable to repay such amount as may be determined by the authority who provided the assistance, and

(b) the amount shall, without prejudice to any other power in that behalf, be recoverable by the authority who provided the assistance from the authority F17[or approved housing body] who received it as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(5) Where the terms and conditions of assistance under this section enable the assistance to be secured by mortgage, the housing authority may, for the purpose of securing the assistance, enter into and carry out an agreement with any other mortgagee.

(6) F18[...]

(7) F18[...]

(8) The determination of the terms and conditions under which assistance under this section is provided shall be a reserved function.

F19[(8A) Where, by virtue of section 69 of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019, a person is receiving existing assistance (within the meaning of subsection (2)(b) of the said section 69), that person shall not receive from a housing authority any assistance under this section that is not existing assistance.]

(9) Where a housing authority have assisted a body under section 12 of the Principal Act in the provision of housing accommodation, the Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, recoup out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas all or part of such assistance.

(10) Any reference to section 5 of the Act of 1988 in sections 10 and 15 of that Act, in section 28 of the Building Societies Act, 1989, or in regulations made under the Housing Acts, 1966 to 1992, shall be construed as a reference to this section.

(11) In this section “housing accommodation” includes sites for caravans within the meaning of section 13 of the Act of 1988.