Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Bridging the affordability gap and boosting supply for the provision of homes is ultimately our shared goal and it has to be our priority. I am pleased that it has such a high priority when it comes to the Housing for All plan. Many young couples at the moment are paying €1,500 to €2,000 to rent a two-bedroom apartment in places in my constituency like Clondalkin and Lucan when they would much prefer to be paying €1,000 in a mortgage for a place they would own some day. The problem is that they cannot afford to do that because they either cannot get a mortgage while saving for a deposit or they cannot find a home locally that is within their price range. The nub of the problem is affordability, and I guess that issue is fixed by supply. At the moment, demand outstrips supply. While I am pleased that the Housing for All plan aims to bridge the affordability gap and boost supply, a frustration often raised with me by constituents is that many first-time buyer initiatives only apply to new builds and we need to consider extending that to renovated homes. The Minister mentioned the local authority home loan scheme. It is positive that it now applies to second-hand homes but we need more of that to deliver change for young couples who need affordability in the housing market.

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