Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If Deputies are going to ask questions, they should stick to the subject of the questions they tabled if they want to get specific answers. Deputy Collins asked about St. Michael's Estate in her question but has now delved into another area that, in fairness to the Deputy who asked the question about O'Devaney Gardens, will be addressed later in the session.

The average age of home ownership, which was raised by Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has been changing for a number of reasons. The average age has moved from 26 to 35 or 36. Home ownership has been declining since 1991. I think it fell as quickly during the boom years as it is falling now so, again, that is linked to different things. The NDFA has modelled cost reductions for affordable homes schemes that are not just related to a discount on the market price but to the net income of a person. With regard to a clerical officer or a teacher on the mid point of the salary scale, we are looking at those types of salary scales because we must make sure the homes being provided are affordable for people living and working in areas and cities where price pressures are highest. This is why we have the ambition for at least 20,000 affordable homes under the different schemes and that is why we set up the Land Development Agency and locked in a minimum of 30% for the provision of affordable homes on the land being brought forward by the agency.

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