Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is very worrying that ten years have passed and there is still no date for the completion of the review. I really worry about that.

I do understand the new initiatives that have been introduced by the Government. I will provide the Minister of State of the example of the Rebuilding Ireland home loan. First-time buyers can apply for a Rebuilding Ireland home loan to purchase a new or second-hand property or build their own home. They can borrow up to 90% of the market value of the property. The maximum market value for properties in County Carlow is approximately €250,000. However, this year, just one Government-backed mortgage has been approved for a first-time buyer in County Carlow, out of four applications. I have seen the figures in other counties and the refusals are worrying.

Are the criteria right? Why is it that out of four applicants in County Carlow, one was approved? We are here promoting Rebuilding Ireland home loans. I am worried about this issue.

I wish to raise another concern. We all want to make sure that people can buy their own homes, and homes that are affordable. In particular, we want to ensure that those who do not qualify for the housing list are in the position to buy their own homes. We must ensure that the programme for Government enables people to buy affordable houses that are actually affordable. It is the same with the shared equity scheme. It is most important that we give the younger generation that opportunity to own their own homes. We have seen this past week the concerns raised about funds buying large housing estates. We cannot allow that to happen. We must ensure that the young people get the chance to benefit from affordable housing and shared equity schemes and can get on the local authority housing list. We must ensure that we get this right.

I know that there are some good initiatives coming up in the programme for Government and I welcome that, but we must ensure that there are no obstacles in the way and that we get it right.

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