Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It goes to show that there is a major anomaly here, namely, that we have budgeted €5.35 billion for one sector while the sector immediately above it has nothing. It is a huge hole in the scheme. I am disappointed. I raised the matter before the Rebuilding Ireland programme was announced. It is an area we must revisit. In respect of the figure on the help to purchase scheme, we are looking at tens of millions of euro going into that scheme, which is welcome. The area I am talking about has been ignored, however. I flagged it. Something needs to happen here. I will be speaking to the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and the Minister of State, Deputy English.

This is the first occasion that I have got it out of the Department that there are no plans to introduce an affordable housing purchase scheme. It is a serious error. Part of the Irish psyche is to purchase property. Whether we like it or not, that is not going to change. Pillar 4 is about affordable renting. People do not like renting, especially in areas where rent is €1,200 per month. That is €15,000 per year. People will purchase but they need a little bit of help from the State. The State has done that successfully in a number of past decades, going back to the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and the 2000s. It needs to be reintroduced. It is a massive error of judgement by the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and the Minister of State, Deputy English, not to reintroduce the affordable housing purchase scheme.

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