Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

In the final analysis, we should pay particular attention to the needs of first-time buyers, those in an income bracket who would previously have applied for ordinary annuity loans, SDA loans as they were called or housing finance agency loans as they were called in the 1980s.

While that is out of the equation at present, there is an urgent need to bring it back and to ensure that one protects those families that now are applying for loans, affordable or otherwise, in order that they do not find in four, five or six years time, that they will be obliged to sell their houses at a loss. There are various reasons for this into which I cannot go at present and I will conclude by thanking the Cathaoirleach.

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