Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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250. To ask the Minister for Finance if there are provisions or exemptions whereby persons that had a share in a house previously and have since been divorced and are now seeking to buy a first-time house on their own can be included in the help-to-buy scheme; if these criteria are consistent with the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25644/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by Revenue that the definition of a first-time purchaser for the purposes of the Help to Buy (HTB) scheme is “an individual who, at the time of a claim for HTBhas not, either individually or jointly with any other person, previously purchased or previously built, directly or indirectly, on his or her own behalf a dwelling”.

It is not clear what the Deputy means when he refers to “a share in a house”.

For example, take a married couple or co-habitants. A dwelling could have been bought by one of the parties only, and used as a family home. If at some later stage the relationship broke down, it is possible that the individual who had not bought the house may seek to purchase a house. If that individual proves that he/she was not previously involved in the purchase of a house, then that person could, subject to satisfying the conditions of the scheme, be a first-time purchaser for the purposes of the HTB.

If however, what is meant by “a share in a house” is that a person was a joint owner of a dwelling that they formerly purchased or built, then he/she would not qualify as a first time buyer for the purposes of HTB.

In relation to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, that scheme is within the remit of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government and its features are matters for him to decide.