John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

One such incentive is the announcement yesterday in relation to the vacant property refurbishment grant, which will now give people who own a derelict property up to €70,000 in grant support to bring that into productive use for themselves or another family. It is another important incentive introduced by Government to proactively engage with the owners of those properties to try to bring them back into use. That can be combined with the better energy support grant, meaning one can get nearly €100,000 in grant support to bring a derelict property back into use as a result of the decision made by Government yesterday, something that is promoting home ownership.

Another scheme in that vein is the help to buy scheme. That has helped over 38,500 individuals and families to get their foot on the ladder in recent years. All Opposition parties, bar none, want to abolish that essential support for young people to buy a home. Let us take a €300,000 house. At the moment, you can get a grant through Revenue of four years of tax you have paid to get €30,000. That is your deposit, 10% of the price of the home. If that scheme was abolished in the morning, what is the Opposition saying it would give young people in return? Opposition Members say they will give them one month’s rent, giving them €2,000 with one hand and taking €30,000 with the other. Even if you bought into their rhetoric that it would lower prices, let us take €30,000 off that €300,000 house. That is €270,000.The Central Bank requires young people to have a 10% deposit, which is €27,000. What is their solution for that €27,000? The answer to that is “None”.