Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2025
57. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that, according to reports this week, house prices have risen to a ten-year high; if, given that in Laois this inflation has risen by 17%, combined with a shortage of affordable and cost rental homes, he will increase the threshold for afford to buy and cost rental; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35833/25]
View answerThe CSO's Residential Property Price Index (RPPI) measures the change in prices actually paid for homes. The latest RPPI for April 2025 shows the increase in prices paid for homes has been dampening nationally for some time now, with annual price rises moderating from 10.1% in August last year to 7.5% in this April. At the same time, the rate of growth in new home prices has fallen for seven consecutive quarters to Q1 2025. The falling rate of month-on-month increases in the RPPI also suggests a likely continuing moderation of price increases in the near term, though possibly at a slightly lower pace than was seen in the early part of this year.
In Laois specifically, the average purchase price of all homes by household buyers was €278,839 in April 2025, down 13% month-on-month and some 9% lower than the Q1 average for the county.
Government is fully committed to delivering affordable housing at scale, and continuing to accelerate housing supply across all tenures. A comprehensive implementation strategy is in place to support the various affordable housing schemes, both for purchase and cost rental, now being delivered by a range of delivery partners. Overall since the launch of Housing for All, nearly 13,000 affordable housing options have been delivered by a range of delivery partners, including over 240 in Laois.
The affordable support under the First Home Scheme for new-build purchases and self-builds is governed by price ceilings, set for each local authority area and reviewed nationwide at 6-month intervals. First Home undertook its sixth scheduled review of the ceilings in June 2025, and it was decided to maintain the price ceiling for Laois at it current level of €375,000.
For Cost Rental homes, like the 28 delivered in Portlaoise last year by the Clúid AHB with Government support, eligibility is determined by the net household income of applicants. Since August 2023, the net household income limit in Laois has been €59,000. In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, my Department is keeping the parameters for Cost Rental eligibility under review, in order to ensure that the scheme effectively targets these homes at the intended tenant cohort.
