Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Help to Buy (HTB) initiative announced in Budget 2017 is an income tax incentive measure designed to assist first-time buyers with the deposit required to purchase or self-build a new house or apartment to live in as their home. With a view to increasing the supply of new housing and stimulating demand, the relief is only available in respect of new builds.

In the July 2020 stimulus plan, the scheme was amended so that the level of support available to first-time buyers was increased to the lesser of €30,000, increased from €20,000, or 10%, increased from 5%, of the purchase price of a new home or self-build property; or the amount of income tax and deposit interest retention tax paid in the four years before the purchase or self-build. The scheme was extended in its enhanced form in Budget 2021. The help-to-buy scheme was extended in the Finance Act 2022 for a further two years to the end of 2024, and again in Finance Act 2023 for a further year to the end of 2025.

Applications for the help-to-buy scheme may be made on a provisional basis as first-time buyers seek to clarify their entitlements in advance of commencing the purchase of a property. An application will only progress to the claim stage if and when the applicant decides to purchase a property that is eligible for the scheme. It is at the claim stage that the property address details become available.

I am advised by Revenue that the number of help-to-buy claims approved since 1 July 2020, broken down by county, are set out in the table below, along with the number of applicants associated with these claims. These figures include data in relation to both purchases and self-builds.

Property County	Number of Claims	Number of Applicants
Carlow	294	512
Cavan	261	475
Clare	474	854
Cork	3,746	6,902
Donegal	568	1,007
Dublin	3,756	6,909
Galway	1,343	2,430
Kerry	354	647
Kildare	3,707	6,860
Kilkenny	504	925
Laois	722	1,312
Leitrim	82	153
Limerick	806	1,451
Longford	84	157
Louth	1,110	2,016
Mayo	560	1,018
Meath	2,791	5,154
Monaghan	302	549
Offaly	494	905
Roscommon	234	430
Sligo	228	390
Tipperary	414	745
Waterford	693	1,258
Westmeath	410	748
Wexford	1,019	1,822
Wicklow	1,183	2,198
Totals	26,139	47,827

*Data as at 23rd February 2024