Seán Sherlock
Question:59. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Finance if the help-to-buy scheme will be extended to second-time buyers. [13304/20]
View answerTuesday, 30 June 2020
Questions (59)
Written answers
The definition of first time buyer in the Help to Buy scheme (HTB) is as follows:
'first-time purchaser' means an individual who, at the time of a claim under subsection (3) has not, either individually or jointly with any other person, previously purchased or previously built, directly or indirectly, on his or her own behalf a dwelling;
The intention is to target HTB at those who have not had the opportunity to build up equity in another property which could be used to purchase the second or subsequent property. I do not propose amending or removing the first-time buyer requirement in HTB.