Séamus McGrath
Ceist:647. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to review the house price ceilings under the local authority home loan. [3745/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 20 January 2026
Ceisteanna (647)
Freagraí scríofa
The Programme for Government and our new Housing Plan - Delivering Homes: Building Communities - include a commitment to review the house price and income thresholds for the Local Authority Home Loan scheme. The Local Authority Home Loan scheme is a Government-backed mortgage for creditworthy applicants who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial lenders to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The Local Authority Home Loan scheme is a successor loan to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, and it can be used for both the purchase of new and second-hand properties, or to self-build.
The purpose of the promised scheme review, is to ensure that this loan scheme remains an accessible route to home ownership in the current housing market, which means ensuring that the financial thresholds that apply to the price of the property and the income levels of applicants are set at the right level. The current thresholds have been in place since March 2023, and therefore given developments in the housing market since then, it is timely to carry out such a review. This scheme is an important part of the Government's overall approach to delivering new homes and to making those homes available to and affordable for people across the country. This is why it is important to ensure that the scheme continues to provide a viable pathway to home ownership, and properly reflects the market realities of the housing market in 2026.
With all of that said, I can advise that this review process is nearing completion. When it is finalised, I will be in a position to consider the recommendations and decide on the appropriate financial thresholds going forward.