Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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138. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the details of resources available to support local groups seeking to meet their own housing needs through the co-operative housing model; if he will consider issuing a circular to local authorities encouraging support for co-operative housing groups, including the provision of low cost sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18948/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Housing authorities have powers to make low cost sites available to persons who are qualified for social housing support and to voluntary or co-operative non-profit housing groups. I have no plans at present to amend the conditions under which such sites are made available.

A range of measures are being taken under the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, to increase housing supply overall, with the aim of creating a better functioning and more sustainable housing system which can meet housing demand at more affordable prices.

Assistance to first time buyers is also available under the Help to Buy Scheme, introduced by my colleague, the Minister for Finance. In addition, households may be eligible for a local authority mortgage or Home Choice Loan to finance their house purchase; further details are available from individual local authorities.