Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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98. To ask the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 169 of 20 February 2025, the position regarding a timeline for when the planned review of the help-to-buy scheme will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8544/25]

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. It also has as a key aim of the encouragement of additional supply of new houses by supporting demand. 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.

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.

An increase in the supply of new housing remains a priority aim of Government policy. As mentioned above, the HTB scheme is specifically designed to encourage an increase in demand for affordable new build homes in order to encourage the construction of an additional supply of such properties.

The Programme for Government commits to the retention and revision of the HTB scheme. All decisions regarding taxation measures are made in the context of the annual Budget and Finance Bill processes, at the appropriate time and having regard to the sound management of the public finances.