Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 499: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his proposals to reintroduce the first-time buyer's housing grant; if the matter is under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12852/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The termination of the new house grants scheme, which was announced on 14 November 2003, arose from the necessity, in the context of the 2003 Estimates, for the Government to ensure a sustainable match between expenditure and resources, and to concentrate housing programmes on areas of greatest impact and social need. It is not proposed to reintroduce the grant.

However, through overall increases in supply, and increasing output under various affordable housing initiatives, the Government is seeking to improve access to home ownership for first-time buyers. These targeted measures, in particular, assist low income purchasers and this, in the Government's view, is a better means of improving the affordability of house purchase and using available resources effectively, than a general first-time buyer's grant which would over time become absorbed into the house price. Other general measures are in place through the tax system to assist first-time buyers, such as stamp duty concessions and improvements made in 2004 to mortgage interest relief.