Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I did not actually make any of the contentions that Deputy Howlin has accused me of, so I will not reply to them one by one. It is often the case that people are refused a mortgage because they cannot pay the interest rate. Consider the difference between a mortgage where the interest rate is 3.5% versus a mortgage with an interest rate is 2% and guaranteed and locked in for 30 years.

One's ability to afford a mortgage is based on the monthly repayment and the repayments under this mortgage will be considerably lower than is the case for mortgages given by the banks.

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