Written answers
Monday, 8 September 2025
Department of Finance
Housing Schemes
Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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582. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will consider increasing the threshold for help-to buy applicants from €500,000 in Budget 2026 in view of the increase in housing and construction costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46892/25]
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 aims to encourage additional supply of new houses by supporting demand.
HTB provides 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.
The level of support available to first time buyers under the HTB scheme, is whichever is the lesser of:
- €30,000; or
- 10 per cent of the purchase price of the new property; or,
- the amount of Income Tax and DIRT paid in the four years before application for the relief.
The Programme for Government commits to the retention and revision of the HTB scheme. As the Deputy will appreciate, any revisions to the scheme would have to be considered as part of the annual Budget and Finance Bill processes and take into account the effective operation of the scheme and the impact any proposed changes would have on the broader housing market. However, I do not currently have any plans to increase the maximum value of a qualifying property as suggested by the Deputy.
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