Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

436. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline the benefits, if any, available to first time buyers from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22440/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

While the Government's housing policy statement acknowledges that home ownership is the preferred tenure option for the majority of households it also recognises that there are other households who either do not want or may not ever be in a position to own their home. Housing policy is therefore predicated on meeting need at a point in time based on household circumstances and not on favouring one tenure option over another through fiscal or other stimuli. The Government is committed to supporting access to home ownership for lower to middle income households and the current range of paths to home ownership will remain in place in that regard. Two types of house purchase loan are available from local authorities: standard annuity loans targeted at lower income first time buyers and those under the Home Choice Loan scheme which are available to qualifying middle income first time buyers affected by the “credit crunch”. The terms and conditions governing the operation, including eligibility terms, of annuity mortgages and the Home Choice Loan are set out under the Housing (Local Authority Loans) Regulations 2009 and the Housing (Home Choice Loan) Regulations 2009 respectively. These are available on my Department's website