Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is a range of schemes designed to help people on different income brackets. Naturally in the first year of Rebuilding Ireland the main focus was to get the housing construction back up and to get local authorities back in a position of building houses, which they had not been doing for many years - probably even before the recession - because policy decisions were made to restrict their ability to do that. They are back doing that now and this year across 120 sites they are delivering nearly 4,000 new social houses directly built by local authorities, as well as being involved in acquiring houses, turnkey and so on. They will all become available as well.

In addition, the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme is up and running and many people are applying for it. It will suit many people in the income bracket the Deputy just mentioned. Regarding LIHAF, all 30-plus proposals have been signed and there is an element of affordable housing across all those sites. On the income limits the Deputy mentioned, they will be able to avail of them as well. We will also bring forward more affordable housing through our own initiatives, including on State-owned lands. There will be a major increase in supply there.

It is fair to say that the initial concentration was on getting social housing up and running again and then to concentrate on affordable housing in phase two, which is now happening in a big way. There will be considerable choice for people in the year ahead and rightly so. At the same time, there is great value to be had in many parts of the country. It is very attractive to use the Rebuilding Ireland home loan to buy up some of the properties that are vacant and are available to people at good prices in different parts of the country, although, I accept, not necessarily in the cities.

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