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

I completely and utterly reject what the Deputy has just said. It is a measure and an option that is available. Every tenant in the country has been written to through the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, with the options available. The scheme operates on an administrative basis and nothing will stop with regard to applications. I have already said to the Deputy that it must be underpinned by legislation but that will not stop applications or the operation of the scheme. The cost rental tenant in situ scheme is an option for people who are above the threshold for the social housing waiting list. The tenant in situ scheme is working very well and there were more than 18,010 purchases last year alone. Both schemes will continue into this year.

The Deputy opposes the first-home scheme although most of his colleagues support it and keep asking me parliamentary questions about how we can expand it further for first-time buyers and others. We will continue to work that through this year. The Deputy might explain to his colleagues his opposition to the help-to-buy grant of €30,000 and to the first-home scheme. He might also explain why he is against the vacant homes grant of €70,000.

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