Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Let us deal with the facts. This is not about my mum's house, my house or people who are living in their homes. It is about properties that are coming onto the market for sale. Those first-time buyers cannot knock on their neighbours' doors and ask whether there is any chance of them giving up their homes so that the first-timers can buy them. They go to the market of houses for sale.

I will cite the figures in terms of non-household buyers. In 2010, some 3% of properties across the State were bought by non-household buyers. So far this year, that figure is 15%. In Dublin, in 2010, the figure in respect of all homes was 5%. It has increased to 23% so far in 2017. The figure in respect of new homes in Dublin in 2010 was 15%. In 2017 to date, it is 42%. These are the figures. That is the pool of houses that are available for people who are trying to get onto the property ladder. There is no point in talking about the others who are already in their houses and will not leave them. If they decided to leave their homes, they would fall into that category.

Let us get with this. In Dublin, 42% of new homes are bought by non-household buyers. I welcome the fact that Revenue will break down that information into more granular detail, but let us not pretend that there is no issue.