Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 November 2025
557. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage the position regarding housing supports for persons who fall outside existing schemes, but do not make enough money to compete in the housing market in the context of unprecedented housing prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62838/25]
View answerAffordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of Government’s housing policy, as embodied within the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030. The plan reinforces and expands the range of existing measures being implemented by Government to tackle the issues of supply and affordability, thereby supporting the increased provision of new homes to purchase and rent.
Government is investing an unprecedented level of funding to support housing supply, which will underpin, inter alia, the new Starter Homes Programme, delivering an average of 15,000 affordable housing supports annually to 2030.
In addition to a keen focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction, the plan provides for an expanded remit for the Land Development Agency, work to further extend the First Home and Help to Buy Schemes out to 2030, an increase in affordable tenancies and an expanded local authority delivered starter homes for purchase programme.
With a strong focus on deliverability, the Plan will enable housing delivery partners to accelerate the supply of new starter home supports, providing thousands of individuals and families with increased access to secure and affordable housing solutions nationwide.
A list of affordable housing supports in place is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/0d279-doors-open/, this includes information on the schemes below. A number of these schemes are aimed at first time buyers buying a home and can be combined, thereby providing additional affordability support.
Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme - Local authorities make newly built homes available at a reduced price for first-time and other eligible buyers who cannot afford to purchase a home at its open market value with a maximum mortgage and 10% deposit. The local authority takes a percentage equity share in the home equal to the difference between the open market value of the home and the reduced price paid. This means that if a home is purchased at a 20% reduction on the open market value, the local authority will have a 20% equity share in the home. For more information visit www.affordablehomes.ie.
The First Home Scheme provides finance to help first time buyers, self-builders or those making a fresh start to bridge the gap between a deposit and mortgage, and the price of a new home. The Scheme takes a percentage ownership of your home, which you can buy back later. For more information on the scheme visit www.firsthomescheme.ie.
The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage for creditworthy first-time buyers and fresh start applicants who have been refused a mortgage from a commercial mortgage lender. The scheme is for the purchase of new or second-hand residential properties and for self-builds. It also includes the purchase of homes through Affordable Housing Schemes, with the exception of the First Home Scheme. The Local Authority Home Loan is available nationwide from all local authorities. More information on the Local Authority Home Loan is available at the following link: https://localauthorityhomeloan.ie/.
The Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan is a Government backed mortgage and bridging loan for the purchase and renovation of vacant, derelict and non-habitable homes. The property must be eligible for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, whether derelict, non-habitable or simply vacant. For more information visit: https://purchaseandrenovationloan.ie/.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant provides a grant of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000. In order to qualify for the grant, the property must be vacant for two years or more at the time of application. For more information visit www.gov.ie/en/service/f8f1b-vacant-property-refurbishment-grant/.
The Help to Buy scheme can help with a deposit for a new or self-build home for first-time buyers. It is a refund on income and DIRT tax paid in Ireland in the last four-years. The scheme comes within the remit of Revenue and the Department of Finance. Information on Help to Buy is available at the following link: www.revenue.ie/en/property/help-to-buy-incentive/index.aspx.
For those who wish to rent, the Affordable Housing Act 2021 introduced Cost Rental tenancies as a new form of long-term sustainable home rental targeted at middle-income households. Under the Cost Rental model, rents for homes are set to cover only the cost of financing, building, managing and maintaining the homes. State subventions can be used in order to reduce the initial capital cost and make this starting cost rent more affordable. The Cost Rental system offers prospective tenants the advantages of security of tenure, rents which are at least 25% below the rents charged for similar dwellings in the same areas and minimal rent increases, as rents can only increase in line with inflation.
To qualify for a Cost Rental home, the applicant must be able to demonstrate that their annual net household income does not exceed €66,000 in Dublin and €59,000 elsewhere, that they are not in receipt of any social housing supports, that they do not already own a property, that their household size matches the size of the property advertised, that they can afford to pay the cost rent for the home and that their household has only entered one application for a specific Cost Rental property. More information is available at https://affordablehomes.ie.
