Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 May 2022
77. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if measures will be introduced to help first-time buyers purchase second-hand homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25041/22]
View answerSupporting home ownership is a key objective for this Government. In Housing for All, our new Plan for housing in Ireland we committed to introducing a reformed Local Authority Home Loan scheme to further support access to home ownership for creditworthy home buyers who otherwise find it difficult to access sufficient finance. This is the successor to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. The new scheme has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022.
The Home Loan Scheme is open to all First Time Buyers and to Fresh Start applicants on low or modest incomes who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial lenders to purchase new or second-hand properties or to build their own home. It also includes the purchase of homes through State schemes such as the Tenant Purchase Scheme and Affordable Housing Schemes.
As part of Housing For All I announced changes to local authority mortgage lending. These measures include increasing the income limits for single applicants from €50,000 to €65,000 for properties in counties Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath or Wicklow where house prices are higher.
Another measure I introduced in the Housing for All strategy explicitly provides for the Fresh Start principle. The Fresh Start principle extends the supports available under both Affordable Purchase schemes and the Local Authority Home Loan scheme to applicants who are divorced, legally separated, or where the relationship has ended and where they retain no beneficial interest in a home. The Fresh Start principle will also apply to those who have previously purchased a residential property but have been divested of this through personal insolvency or bankruptcy arrangements, proceedings or other legal processes.
The final decision regarding the Local Authority Home Loan application is made by the relevant Local Authority Credit Committee on a case by case basis.
Further details can be found on localauthorityhomeloan.ie/.
