Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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309. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will address the concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43213/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Housing for All Strategy is the most ambitious housing plan in the history of the State, backed up by an unprecedented financial commitment in excess of €4bn per annum. Over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a projected 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. It's the largest State led building programme in our history.

While many of the measures announced in the Housing for All Strategy are focused on improving affordablity for first time buyers, other elements of the strategy, such as the increased funding provided to the Land Development Agency, the Croí Cónaithe initiative which is focused on increasing housing supply in towns and villages, introducing higher stamp duty rate for institutional investors that purchase family homes and additional measures to reduce vacancy rates, will benefit all families wishing to purchase a home.

With regard to the issue of deposit requirements referred to in the correspondence received, these requirements are governed by the Central Bank of Ireland which retains independence in the establishment of macro-prudential policy and mortgage measures.  The CBI rules state that 20% of second-time buyers can have a lower deposit requirement than the normally-required 20%.

Information in this regard is available at the following Central Bank links:

www.centralbank.ie/consumer-hub/explainers/what-are-the-mortgage-measures, and

www.centralbank.ie/financial-system/financial-stability/macro-prudential-policy/mortgage-measures.