Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I can understand why 1,400 people would be curious about a scheme where there is the possibility of obtaining loan approval if they wish to purchase a house. That is the way it works in the real world, with loan approval being issued up to a certain figure to allow candidates to participate in a scheme. I ask the Minister of State to examine other ways of meeting the same objective, perhaps by looking again at the shared ownership schemes operated by the local authorities. I understand the limit in respect of local authority loan approvals was recently increased to €220,000. Will the Minister of State consider whether it can be increased further? Essentially, the home choice loan scheme is a publicity stunt and it is not working.

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