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

I assure Deputy O'Sullivan that we will make sure all of the relevant information is available. There will be public information campaign on the scheme. There is a lot of interest among Government and Opposition Deputies in this fund. We will make sure all Deputies receive the relevant information. Local authorities will be managing the scheme.

I am glad that Deputy O'Sullivan mentioned single people, a cohort of people who find the current housing situation acutely challenging. That is why we have made very significant changes to the local authority home loan scheme. We have increased the limits for single people. The Croí Conaithe fund will apply to single people. It will also, as is the case with all of the policies the Department has brought forward, be underpinned by the fresh start principle and will apply to people whose lives may have changed through divorce or separation and who do not have any interest in other properties. They are entitled to a fresh start too and that will happen through this policy and through the first home shared equity scheme too. It is really important that we recognise changes in our society, including changes to family types.

This fund will really help people and as I said, we are only a matter of weeks away from launching it. We will make sure all of the relevant information is available. I thank Deputy O'Sullivan and others for their support on this. This could be a game changer for regional Ireland in particular and for towns and villages right across the country.

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