Vol. 517 No. 6
305 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of first time buyers who have entered the housing market during each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10790/00]
My Department does not have definitive information on the total number of first-time buyers who enter the housing market. However, an analysis of house purchase loan survey data available to my Department suggests that between 42% and 46% of all mortgage loans were advanced to first-time purchasers in the three years 1997 to 1999.
Details of the number of grants paid to first-time buyers of new houses are published in my Department's Housing Statistics Bulletin, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas library.
