Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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8. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the measures he is taking to increase the amount of affordable housing in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52989/25]

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy O'Rourke for his question. Both the Minister, Deputy Browne, and I, and the Government as a whole, are fully committed to ensuring the delivery of housing at scale. Part of that is the continued acceleration of delivery of affordable housing. Over 14,500 affordable housing solutions have been delivered by our range of delivery partners since the launch of Housing for All, including 850 in County Meath. Meath County Council has received funding approval for nine schemes to deliver 131 affordable purchase homes with the support of the affordable housing fund, of which 83 have been delivered. Furthermore, six approved housing body projects have been approved to date under the cost-rental equity loan scheme. Sixty-four cost-rental homes have been delivered and a further 168 are to be delivered by the end of 2026.

Under the first home scheme, which provides equity support of up to 30%, or 20% if being combined with the help-to-buy scheme, up to the end of September, 618 approvals have been issued in County Meath, 599 of them to first-time buyers, six to tenant purchase and eight to self-build. Of those, 413 have been drawn down, comprising 406 first-time buyers, five tenant purchases and two self-builds. A considerable amount of affordable housing support has been provided. As the Deputy knows, there is a commitment under the programme for Government to introduce a starter homes programme bringing all elements under the one roof. The vacant property refurbishment grant is also providing affordability supports to first-time buyers in County Meath and across the country.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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Affordability is the biggest issue in County Meath. The county has met its housing targets. Those targets are too low. They are being increased, but there is a track record of delivering housing without affordable housing. The schemes the Minister of State is talking about do not deliver affordable housing either. We have huge numbers of adult children living at home with their parents - I would say tens of thousands. We heard on "Prime Time" last night - and I think it reflected a sentiment across many areas, including in Meath - adult children saying they could not wait to get out of this "kip" because they did not see a future for themselves, given that affordable units were not there for them. They do not see the prospect of owning a house for themselves. It was a grandfather from Coolock who made that statement on behalf of his grandkids. There are affordable units there, and the Minister of State has referred to them. They are €450,000, all in. That is not affordable.

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I did not quite catch exactly the description of the country the Deputy just gave but, as he knows, there are as many people returning to this country as people leaving it.

In terms of affordability supports, he should tell the 618 individuals and couples in his county of Meath who have been approved under the first home scheme that the support that the Government is providing is not of help to them in getting their foot on the ladder. The Deputy's party opposes the first home scheme. Those 618 individuals and couples in County Meath would not be in homes today if it were not for the first home scheme. The Deputy should tell that to the 6,200 who have received support under the help to buy scheme, again a significant scheme in order to help bridge the gap in terms of the deposit to purchase their first homes, again provided by the Government to support people in giving them their taxes back to be able to get their foot on the property ladder, supports and schemes that the Government is providing and that the Deputy's party opposes.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I will speak on behalf of every single one of them and tell the Minister of State that the Government is crucifying them for years to come. These properties are not affordable. The Government is crucifying them, and probably their children after them, with a level of mortgage and financial burden that is completely unsustainable. That will impact every decision they make in their lives, from how many kids they will have to whether they will be able to access work and childcare. That is the reality of it. These properties are not affordable. The Government's schemes are not working for people. On the one level, the Government says it is delivering for people but, on the other, it is crucifying them, and the reality is that it is driving many more out of this country. That is the sum total of the Government's so-called affordable housing scheme. It needs to change tack and listen to what people are saying to it about these schemes.

My follow-up question is about the fact that 79% of private homes that were delivered in Dublin last year - it is the same in County Meath, albeit maybe not to the same extent - were bought by people who had multiple properties. Is the Government going to do something about that? We have situations - I could identify them in my own area - where people have made an absolute fortune out of the Government's IPAS scheme, which is really poorly overseen, only to buy multiple properties in these new developments. It is shameful.

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy said the scheme was saddling people with additional debt. Some 6,200 persons in his county of Meath have availed of the help to buy scheme.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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They want houses.

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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That is getting their taxes back that they have paid over the previous four years to support them in getting their deposits together to purchase their first homes. That does not have to be paid back. The Deputy's party is opposed to that. It is not putting additional debt on any family or individual.

The first home scheme is bridging the gap to home ownership, with 618 applications in the Deputy's county of Meath, and I can guarantee-----

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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Three-bedroom houses for €500,000.

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I did not interrupt the Deputy. If he is not going to allow me speak-----

John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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Deputy, please let the Minister of State respond.

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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These are schemes that are providing supports to individuals and families to bridge the gap to home ownership.

John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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We are out of time.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy’s party does not support those schemes but we will continue as a Government to support those individuals and couples to be able to get their foot on the property ladder.