Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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239. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will introduce a low cost sites scheme in County Kerry to assist middle income earners in building a family home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6913/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Ready to Build Scheme, funded by the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, to support addressing vacancy, was launched in September 2022. Under the Scheme, local authorities make vacant serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build a home.

Under the scheme, local authorities identify suitable sites in their ownership or purchase sites in towns and villages and make them available for sale for the purpose of building a principal private residence. Once serviced, the local authority will make the site available for sale at a discount on the market value of the site. The level of discount to the individual will depend on the level of servicing cost incurred by the local authority before the sale of the site, but will not exceed €30,000.

The scheme is available to a range of individuals or couples, with the prioritisation of applications for consideration using the framework of priorities as outlined in the scheme documents, giving priority on a sliding scale to first time buyers / fresh starters, persons who have a particular need / older persons and individuals who may wish to live in a town or village setting.

To date, 24 sites have been made available for sale. A further 100 sites are at various stages of consideration by the relevant local authorities and the Department is working with those local authorities to progress such sites. I understand that Kerry County Council is currently identifying sites that may qualify under the Croí Cónaithe Ready to Build Scheme: Serviced Sites for New Homes with a view to making them available for purchase during 2025.

The conditions of the Ready to Build Scheme do not preclude prospective applicants from availing of other Government initiatives such as the Help to Buy Scheme or Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan.

Further information with regard to the scheme is available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/33209-ready-to-build-scheme-serviced-sites-for-new-homes/ or by contacting Vacant Homes officer in the relevant local authority.