Eamon Scanlon (Fianna Fail)

I am glad to have the opportunity to comment on this issue. I acknowledge the allocation of housing grants to Sligo County Council and Sligo Corporation in recent days. Sligo County Council received €11.6 million, while Sligo Corporation received €11.5 million. This is a total of €23 million for house construction and purchase. In addition, Leitrim County Council received €6 million. I understand that the phenomenal grants received by both Sligo and Leitrim County Councils are the highest ever received by both.

I concur with Senator Coghlan's point about stage payments, which usually relate to first-time buyers. I am aware that it was a very common practice at one point but this is certainly not the case in my county of Sligo. Today, somebody will pay a booking deposit, a 10% deposit upon signing the contract and the remainder of the money when the house is completed. This practice should be the norm across the country. A system of stage payments is hard on young couples who must pay these payments because they probably have a 90% mortgage and must pay rent as well. This system is unfair and the Government should insist that people should only pay a booking deposit, a 10% deposit and the remainder of the money when a house is completed.

The shared ownership scheme is an excellent scheme and I know of many young couples who have benefited from the scheme and got on to the housing ladder. I noticed that after a year, these couples bought out the council's share, which usually involved remortgaging the house. This scheme should be encouraged more. I agree with Senator Jim Walsh's argument that the council's share of the mortgage should remain static because the scheme is slightly restrictive at the moment in respect of the price of the house and the qualifying income.

I do not believe county council housing lists are accurate. I know of large numbers of people who are on housing lists to get rent allowance. Many of these people will never look for a local authority house. An audit should be carried out of all county councils to ascertain the true numbers on county council housing lists because they are inaccurate at the moment. I am aware the Minister of State does not fully agree with 100% mortgages. I know of certain people who have qualified for such mortgages who would not otherwise have been able to get on to the housing ladder.