Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of help-to-buy claims approved in County Kildare since 2020; the number of applicants associated with these claims; the plans in place to revise the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5012/25]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive, is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with the deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. The incentive gives a refund of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in Ireland over the previous four years, subject to limits outlined in the legislation.

An increase in the supply of new housing remains a central and priority aim of Government policy. For this reason, HTB 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 HTB, it must be new or converted for use as a dwelling, having not previously been used as a dwelling.

I am informed by Revenue that, in the period 1/1/2020 to 7/2/2025, there have been 4,631 claims, covering 8,568 individuals, approved for tax relief under the Help to Buy scheme, in respect of properties located in Co. Kildare.

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

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