Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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134. To ask the Minister for Finance for an update on the third review of Home Building Finance Ireland, which he published recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39243/25]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for the question.

On the 30th of June my department published the latest review of Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI), as is required under Section 24 of the HBFI Act. Section 24 of the HBFI Act provides for a periodic review of HBFI to ensure that it is fulfilling its functions as set out in the Act, and that its continuation remains necessary given prevailing market conditions. This is the third such review to be undertaken since HBFI’s inception in 2019.

This review was based on submissions to the public consultation, stakeholder engagement by my officials, and an assessment of input received from HBFI. Following the review, I am satisfied that a role does remain for HBFI in supporting access to debt funding for housing delivery.

As the Deputy is aware, we will need higher levels of debt funding going forward to enable the delivery of a higher volume of housing units. It is important that HBFI continue to target its lending in areas where it will have the most impact and not displace private capital. HBFI plays a key role in providing finance to our small and medium developers in regional areas. Since it began lending in 2019 to the end of 2024, HBFI has approved total funding of €2.7 billion to support the delivery of over 13,000 homes across 23 counties. As the debt market continues to evolve, HBFI must also continue to calibrate its lending to the market to complement other sources of funding and address funding gaps where possible.

The next review under Section 24 of the HBFI Act will be published no later than 2027.