Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am answering the Deputy's question. For somebody who is looking to buy their first home, a case can be made for offering a degree of support for that. Even if I was to take the Deputy's point and say that somebody purchasing a home that has a loan-to-value ratio of less than 85%, and he may make the case that they do not need any support because they are able to purchase the home with that loan-to-value ratio, I would go back to the broader reasons a scheme like this is needed. It has been a contributory factor to an increase in the supply of homes in our country. Until I see the supply of homes get to a certain point, and I believe we still have a way to go on that, I believe a scheme like this has a role to play.