Vol. 558 No. 3
34 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the way in which he proposes to deal with the problems that will arise for first time buyers due to the abolition of the first time buyers grant. [23894/02]
The termination of the new house grant scheme, which was announced on 14 November 2002, arose from the necessity, in the context of the 2003 Estimates, for the Government to ensure a sustainable match between expenditure and resources, and to concentrate housing programmes on areas of greatest impact and social need. The Government remains committed to continuing with measures initiated in our previous term to increase the supply of housing and bring moderation to the rate of house price increases, including increasing investment in the provision of serviced land for housing and more effective use of that land through improved planning guidelines on residential densities. These measures have been effective in increasing output to record levels and affording greater access to the housing market to first-time buyers. Total new housing output in 2001 was more than 52,600 units, an increase of 5.6% on 2000 and the seventh consecutive year of record housing output. Prospects for housing output in 2002 are again good, with output up 5.2% in the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year.
