James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this important question about the key measures I and the Government will be taking to support first-time buyers under Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030. I thank the Deputy for his regular engagement on this important issue for his constituents. The Government’s new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030 sets out a broad range of measures which will activate and accelerate new homes delivery and provide affordable housing supports. The new plan, which has a strong focus on deliverability, removes structural barriers to homebuilding, unlocking land, reforming planning, delivering infrastructure and creating conditions for investment. The Government is investing an unprecedented level of funding to support housing supply, which will underpin, inter alia, the new starter homes programme, delivering an average of 15,000 affordable housing supports annually to 2030. We are making homes accessible and affordable, increasing social and affordable housing output and improving rental security. The plan supports homeownership while revitalising villages, towns and cities. In addition to a keen focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction, the plan provides for an expanded remit for the Land Development Agency, working to extend the first home and help to buy schemes to 2030, an increase in affordable cost-rental tenancies, an expanded local authority delivered starter homes for purchase programme that will see an increase in affordable homes for purchase nationwide and a new support for those creating living over the shop homes.

The Government has introduced several schemes to help first-time home seekers to buy or rent homes. Since 2021, close to 16,900 affordable housing supports have been provided via these measures nationwide. These supports will be retained, streamlined and expanded under the umbrella of a new starter homes programme to further tackle the issues of supply and affordability and ensure that first-time buyers and renters all over the country in need of assistance are supported by the Government.

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