Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Data on purchase of homes by household buyers, including fist time buyers, are available on the CSO website. The most recent data published by the CSO for the period to April 2023 are available at Data - CSO - Central Statistics Office.

The CSO data show almost 50,000 dwelling purchases by households at market prices for the year to end-April 2023, up 6% year-on-year. The data also show, on a par with the period to end-March 2023, that almost 17,000 or 34% of homes purchased by household buyers were purchased by first-time buyers in the period. These included some 5,200 new homes, or 32% of new homes built, a share consistent with that purchased by first-time buyers for several years now.

There were 1,134 first-time buyer purchases in April 2023, an increase of 2.7% on the 1,104 purchases in April 2022.

Housing for Allis working and delivery is increasing - close to 31,000 homes were completed in the 12-months to end-March 2023, the first time since 2009 rolling 12-month home completions surpassed 30,000. I am optimistic, given recent upward trends in planning permissions, commencements and completions, the number of new homes in 2023 will be close to the target of 29,000 and the recent substantial uplift can be sustained into 2024 and 2025.