Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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185. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will consider raising the cap on the help-to-buy scheme to increase the number of eligible applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4837/25]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Help to Buy scheme assists first-time buyers with the deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. The scheme provides for a refund of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax paid in the State over the previous four years, subject to certain conditions being met.

In July 2020 the scheme was amended so that the level of assistance available to first time buyers was increased to the lesser of: €30,000 (increased from €20,000); 10 per cent (increased from 5 per cent) of the purchase price of a new home/self-build property, or, the amount of Income Tax and DIRT paid in the four years before the purchase or self-build.

With a view to increasing the supply of new housing, the relief is only available for ‘new builds’. To qualify for Help to Buy, the purchase value of the property must not exceed €500,000.

An increase in the supply of new housing remains a priority aim of Government policy. Help to Buy is specifically designed to encourage an increase in demand for new build homes in order to support the construction of an additional supply of such properties. For a property to qualify for Help to Buy, it must be new or converted for use as a dwelling, having not been previously been used as a dwelling. Additionally, the purchase value/approved valuation of the property must not exceed €500,000.

An independent review of the scheme was carried out in 2022. While this review included a number of recommended amendments to the scheme, it did not recommend an increase to the €500,000 house price limit.

The objective of the scheme is to stimulate the housing market at the entry level and not to provide supports to individuals who are seeking houses at the upper ends of the market.

The 2025 Programme for Government includes the following commitments in relation to the Help to Buy scheme:

• Retain and revise the scheme,
• Extend the scheme until 2030, and
• Continue to support one-off self-builds through the scheme.