Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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346. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a person who, following divorce proceedings, no longer resides in the family home but still has their name on the property title, despite having no financial stake in the property, can be considered eligible under the ‘fresh start’ principle when applying for a local authority home loan or an affordable purchase home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23088/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The 'Fresh Start' principle forms a key element in 'Housing for All' and is applied across a number of affordable and mortgage schemes such as the Local Authority Home Loan and the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. The ‘Fresh Start’ principle is also applied by the independently-governed First Home Scheme.

‘Fresh Start’ means that people who are divorced or separated and have no interest in the family home, or who have undergone insolvency proceedings, will be eligible to apply for such schemes. The specific eligibility criteria for each scheme must also be met.

In order to be eligible under the Fresh Start principle 'Fresh Start', under the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (as amended), the following additional provisions must be met:

• the most recently owned dwelling must have been lost as a result of the fresh start event;
• the person has divested themselves of their interest in any previous properties purchased or built;
• if the ‘Fresh Start’ event is due to divorce or separation, the person is now applying to purchase a property on their own or with a different person.