Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed in the Minister's approach to the proposal that the help-to-buy scheme be extended to second-hand houses. By expanding the scheme, opportunities would be offered to small contractors and not big developers. We would offer affordable houses in locations where people would be happy to live. We would also speed up the process by which houses or homes become occupied because of the time between getting planning permission for a new house or housing development and all that goes with that and its realisation. If we can extend the help-to-buy scheme and the mortgage scheme to allow people to buy vacant second-hand homes, it would counteract the arguments that have been made by Deputies Pearse Doherty, Boyd Barrett and others about developers being the beneficiaries. If we do not put in place some sort of a scheme to rejuvenate the housing stock that is vacant, we will miss an opportunity for young people, first-time buyers.

If we do not do it this way, I am very interested to learn what way we are going to help people.