Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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551. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the position regarding support for people who do not earn enough to qualify for cost rental housing but are over the income threshold for social housing supports; if cases such as this are under review within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66030/25]

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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558. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is aware that people earning above the social housing income threshold but below the thresholds for affordable housing or private purchase are left with no options in Cork city. [66118/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 551 and 558 together.

Affordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of Government’s housing policy, as embodied within the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030. The plan reinforces and expands the range of existing measures being implemented by Government to tackle the issues of supply and affordability, thereby supporting the increased provision of new homes to purchase and rent.

Government is investing an unprecedented level of funding to support housing supply, which will underpin, inter alia, the new Starter Homes Programme, delivering an average of 15,000 affordable housing supports annually to 2030.

In addition to a keen focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction, the plan provides for an expanded remit for the Land Development Agency, work to further extend the First Home and Help to Buy Schemes to 2030, an increase in affordable tenancies and an expanded local authority delivered starter homes for purchase programme.

With a strong focus on deliverability, the Plan will enable housing delivery partners to accelerate the supply of new starter home supports, providing thousands of individuals and families with increased access to secure and affordable housing solutions nationwide including Cork City.

To note, eligibility criteria for affordable schemes differ from scheme to scheme with many not subject to any minimum income limits. Details on the schemes discussed below can be found at the following link: .

Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme

Local authorities make newly built homes available at a reduced price for first-time and other eligible buyers who cannot afford to purchase a home at its open market value with a maximum mortgage and 10% deposit. The local authority will take a percentage equity share in the home equal to the difference between the open market value of the home and the reduced price paid. For more information visit www.affordablehomes.ie.

For affordable homes purchased under the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme (LAAPS), purchasers pay a price for their new home in accordance with their purchasing power, calculated as outlined in Affordable Housing Regulations of 2023. Homes of various types and in various locations made available under LAAPS will have different minimum sales prices. There are no specific income thresholds for this scheme.

First Home Scheme

The First Home Scheme is also a shared equity scheme and makes home ownership achievable by bridging the gap for first-time buyers and other eligible homebuyers between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home within regional price ceilings which are available at . This Scheme takes a percentage ownership of your home, which a customer can buy back later. There are no specific income thresholds for this scheme.

Local Authority Home Loan

The Local Authority Home Loan (LAHL) is a Government-backed mortgage for creditworthy first-time buyers and certain other eligible applicants who have been refused a mortgage or have received an insufficient loan offer through a commercial mortgage lender. To qualify for LAHL an applicant must have an annual gross income of not more than €70,000 for a single applicant and €85,000 for a joint applicant.

The scheme is for the purchase of new or second-hand residential properties and for self-builds. It also includes the purchase of homes through Affordable Housing Schemes, with the exception of the First Home Scheme. The Local Authority Home Loan is available nationwide from all local authorities. More information on the Local Authority Home Loan is available at the following link: .

Cost Rental Homes

Cost Rental is a key element of the Government's strategy to improve affordability in the rental sector and to provide secure, long-term homes for moderate-income households above the income limits for social housing. The core principle is that rents cover the development, management, and maintenance costs of the homes, so that their long-term future is secure, without rents being subject to the pressures of the open market.

Since rents depend on actual delivery costs, particular Cost Rental homes will have different degrees of affordability for the range of potential applicants. My Department is supporting the delivery of homes at a range of cost and rent levels, depending on factors like location and the size or type of home, and affordability is always a key consideration. By providing significant capital funding, my Department helps to drive down the rents that must be paid by tenants. All funded Cost Rental projects must achieve starting rents that are at least 25% (and often significantly more) below comparable local market levels.

My Department continues to review the operation of Cost Rental housing, in order to ensure that the relevant cohort of potential tenants is targeted.

To qualify for a Cost Rental home, the applicant must be able to demonstrate that their annual net household income does not exceed €59,000 (€66,000 in Dublin), that they are not in receipt of any social housing supports, that they do not already own a property, that their household size matches the size of the property advertised, that they can afford to pay the cost rent for the home and that their household has only entered one application for a specific Cost Rental property. Upcoming vacancies are advertised on .

Other measures such as the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Scheme, and the Ready to Build Scheme are also available to help make home ownership more affordable. These measures are primarily aimed at supporting affordability constrained households, first-time buyers and Fresh Start applicants. These supports are regularly reviewed by my Department.