Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The tax incentive to which the Deputy refers is the help-to-buy scheme and that relates to first-time buyers of newly-built homes. I am referring to something completely different, about trying to get people back in to the centre of towns to live. I will roll out a pilot scheme in the latter half of this year.

The pilot scheme will examine grant-aiding people who want to move into vacant buildings in the centre of town. They would receive grant aid to help them to renovate the premises. It is a pilot scheme for a limited number of towns that will be selected. I have no idea yet what towns they will be, but I will decide that at a later date with the relevant agencies. I want to be very clear that it is a pilot scheme. The help-to-buy scheme is completely separate. It is under the aegis of the Department of Finance and relates to new houses.

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