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.

The level of support available to first time buyers under the HTB scheme, is whichever is the lesser of:

• €30,000; or
• 10 per cent of the purchase price of the new property; or,
• the amount of Income Tax and DIRT paid in the four years before application for the relief.

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. Additionally, the purchase value/approved valuation of the property must not exceed €500,000.

Based on the latest available data (30 November 2024), the HTB scheme has supported almost 52,000 individuals or couples to buy their own home, of which around 87% of claims were for properties which did not exceed €450,000 in value.

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 Programme for Government commits to the retention and revision of the HTB scheme. As the Deputy will appreciate all decisions regarding taxation measures are made in the context of the annual Budget and Finance Bill processes, at the appropriate time, having regard to the sound management of the public finances and the impact any proposed changes would have on the broader housing market.