Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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506. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the merits of providing low interest, Government-backed bridging loans for people seeking to move to home and are unable to do so due to the cost of finance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32178/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The role of my Department in mortgage origination is limited to the provision of the Local Authority Home Loan and the Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan, which are delivered by local authorities.

Local authority lending for home purchase is designed to enable creditworthy first time buyers and fresh start applicants who have been unable to secure finance from commercial lenders, the opportunity to purchase, self-build or renovate a home for their occupation.

My Department has no function in terms of providing bridging finance. Further queries on the operation of the commercial mortgage market should be directed to my colleague the Minister for Finance who has policy responsibility in this area.

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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507. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the supports available to families buying their second home due to the need for additional space but cannot do so due to the cost of finance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32180/25]

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 schemes of my Department which may apply to some buying their second home.

The Fresh start principle, as defined in Section 10 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021, allows certain purchasers to be treated as First Time Buyers and be eligible to apply for the purchase of an affordable home. In order to be eligible under the Fresh Start principle, under the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (as amended), one of the following provisions must be met:

• A person has been divorced, legally separated or their civil partnership or relationship has ended, and they are no longer living in and have no financial interest in the previous family home.
• A person has been divested of a home through personal insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings.
• A person previously owned, was beneficially entitled to, or had an interest in a dwelling in the State and that this dwelling, because of its size, is not suited to the current accommodation needs of their household, that person is still eligible to apply if they own or are beneficially entitled to an estate or interest in the dwelling at the time at which they apply for an affordable dwelling.

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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508. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the merits of amending existing first-time buyer supports in cases whereby one member of a couple is a first-time buyer but the other has purchased a property previously; if this can be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32181/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Affordable Housing Act 2021 requires that where a person is married, in a civil partnership or in an intimate and committed relationship with whom they intend to reside in the affordable dwelling, the application for an affordable dwelling must be a made jointly.

This requirement to apply jointly applies to other affordability initiatives such as the Local Authority Home Loan.

Section 10 of the Act further states that none of the persons making the application for an affordable home may own, or be beneficially entitled to an estate or interest in, any dwelling in the State or elsewhere.

There are no plans to change the legislation at this time.