Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 200: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of first-time buyers who purchased houses in 2004. [27750/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that data on the number of first-time buyers is only available in part through stamp duty receipts. However, as not all first-time buyers are liable to stamp duty and where stamp duty receipts refer to more than one category of buyer, reliable statistics regarding the number of first-time buyers cannot be determined.

No stamp duty applies in the case of new residential property for owner occupiers including first time buyers, which does not exceed 125 sq. m. in floor area. In this respect no information is available as regards such purchasers. In addition, as stamp duty rates for property transactions exceeding €381,000 (up to 1 December 2004) and exceeding €635,000 (on or after 2 December 2004) were the same for all residential purchasers, it is not possible to distinguish first time buyer transactions in excess of these values. However, where first-time buyers paid stamp duty at a lower rate than other buyers, this category of buyers is separately identifiable as first-time buyers and as such a record of their number exists. In this respect, the number of transactions relating to first time buyers paying stamp duty at these particular rates in 2004 was 7,632.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, in its annual housing statistics bulletin, estimates that 34% of all new houses purchased in 2004 were bought by first-time buyers.