Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is hard to know where it begins and ends with Deputy Barry. I will say it again. There was 1% house price inflation over that period. There has been house price inflation. That is what we are talking about. This scheme is focused on those who need it most.

I heard Deputy Barry and Deputy Boyd Barrett, in particular, talk about price caps. They are caps, not targets. In every area in the Deputy's adopted city of Cork there will be different prices for different homes. We are making sure with a cap that no one can enter the shared equity scheme if the price of the home is over that amount. It will not drive prices up to that level. It depends on the type of house.

The scheme is a supply side scheme and will help. It is one of a number of measures in the affordable housing Bill, some of which I hope the Deputy will support, such as the delivery of direct build affordable homes on State-owned land through our local authorities. There is a €310 million fund. We are making changes. The first homes will be delivered in Boherboy in Cork and we intend to deliver up to 6,000 homes under that scheme. We have to establish it on a primary legislative footing at a national level. I expect the Deputy to support it.

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