Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 January 2026
382. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the mechanisms in place or are being considered to restrict the purchase of residential property by foreign corporations/companies and non-EU nationals. [2985/26]
View answerThe new housing plan Delivering Homes, Building Communities builds on the foundations laid under Housing for All to enable delivery of a minimum of 300,000 new homes, including record levels of new social homes, an ambitious nationwide Starter Homes Programme and the provision of additional delivery in the areas of Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA), as well as bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use.
This will have a meaningful impact on the housing market, increased supply will help dampen house price growth and ease affordability challenges, and ensure that everyone has a range of housing options available to them, whether they want to buy a house, rent one, or are in need of social housing.
Measures such as the Local Authority Home Loan, the Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Scheme, the Help to Buy Incentive, First Home Scheme and the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant are also available to help make home ownership more affordable.
At the same time, Government recognises the need to prevent the inappropriate purchase of family homes by investors. Accordingly, planning measures were introduced in May 2021 to prevent the bulk-purchase of new 'own-door' houses and duplexes in lower density housing developments. These measures have succeeded in restricting almost 64,000 or so residential units from bulk purchase or multiple sales to a single purchaser. In addition, Government introduced, in Budget 2025, a higher stamp duty of 15% on the cumulative purchase of 10 or more residential properties (excluding apartments).
Recognising the need to ensure an appropriate balance of homes across all tenures, any further measures to either restrict or support activity by different buyer types will be kept under review, as with all matters of housing policy.
