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

I welcome the shared equity scheme for first-time buyers. It is going to be of crucial importance to people. We all await the launch of further details around Croí Cónaithe. With more people now working from home, something we should also consider is that there is a lot of commercial space in cities such as in Dublin city centre which large employers might not necessarily be utilising for their workers. There is an opportunity for us to amend the legislation to make it easier for those buildings to be transformed into residential use. We need to be innovative about this. We need more homes for young people, and we need them at affordable rates. We must examine the planning legislation and grant schemes and budgets in terms of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that could support such an innovative approach both for those young people who are seeking to purchase but also for the Government to lead the way on this.

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