Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. As he outlined, the issue for young people and families seeking home ownership and trying to get onto the property ladder is that the average house price in Mayo is below the 5% affordability constraint for access to the affordability scheme. As he outlined, the issue boils down to the calculations on a county-wide basis. Mayo has the fourth-lowest market house price in the country but that is certainly not reflective of the open market price of new-build homes in areas such as Westport, Castlebar and Ballina. Some of these A-rated new premises are on the market for between €270,000 and €350,000.

I am delighted to see Mayo County Council has been proactive. It reached out to the public in Mayo, seeking information to understand better the demand for affordable housing, including locations of choice and the affordability constraints of potential applicants. The threshold for social housing in Mayo is €25,000. Many people are above that threshold but caught within the squeezed-middle bracket. It is important that we respond to these pressure areas. Mayo has significant issues in respect of vacancy and dereliction. Increasing housing supply in the area would be an important step forward.

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