Written answers
Tuesday, 29 July 2025
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Housing Provision
Ann Graves (Dublin Fingal East, Sinn Fein)
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1613. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the options available to a person (details supplied) and to other families in the same situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43301/25]
James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is acutely aware of the housing challenges faced by many sectors of society. Housing for All, Ireland's housing plan to 2030, is the most ambitious and comprehensive housing plan in the history of the State. The Plan contains a suite of actions that have and continue to increase the provision of housing through accelerating supply and increasing the affordability of homes for our citizens.
Under the Programme for Government published in January 2025, the Government committed to introduce a new, all of government, national housing plan to follow Housing for All. This Department is currently examining that commitment, its implementation and the potential timeframe.
While work is being undertaken to progress a new housing plan which will build on progress to date, the measures detailed in Housing for All will continue to be progressed to accelerate and increase delivery of secure and affordable housing.
A list of all affordable housing supports in place is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/0d279-doors-open/
A number of these schemes can be combined, thereby providing additional affordability support.
Fingal County Council advertise homes under the Affordable Purchase Scheme on a regular basis. For example, recently 151 homes at Baile na Móna, Swords, were advertised including 2 bed homes at a discounted minimum affordable price of €310k and 3 bed homes at a discounted minimum affordable price of €360k. Fingal has also indicated that affordable homes will be advertised shortly for Churchfields with affordable prices to start from €263,500. More details are available on Fingal's website: www.fingal.ie/AffordableHousing
The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, eligible homebuyers, and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). Full details are available on the First Home Scheme website: www.firsthomescheme.ie/
The First Home Scheme Designated Activity Company (DAC) is fully responsible for the operation of the First Home Scheme on behalf of all shareholders, including price ceiling reviews. At its launch, the First Home Scheme Designated Activity Company (DAC) announced it would review all price ceilings at 6-month intervals. The DAC takes into account a range of factors as part of these reviews, including the median price and volume of new builds purchased by first time buyers in each local authority area. The most recent review concluded at the end of last month and 16 local authority areas had their price ceilings increased.
When the Scheme was first launched in July 2022, the price ceiling for the Fingal local authority area was €450,000. This has been raised following two subsequent price ceiling reviews to €475,000 on 1 January 2023 and in the most recent review to €500,000 1 July 2025.
The First Home Scheme DAC will continue to monitor the price ceilings, including in Fingal as part of any future review.
More information on price-ceiling reviews is available at the following link: www.firsthomescheme.ie/about-the-scheme/property-price-ceilings/
The Help-to-Buy scheme is administered by the Department of Finance and any development or expansion of the scheme comes under the remit of that Department. Further details of this scheme are available here: www.revenue.ie/en/property/help-to-buy-incentive/index.aspx
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