Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien has announced he will propose to extend the First Home Scheme for a further five years. 

The scheme is a shared equity programme where the government and participating banks pay up to 30% of the cost of your new home in return for a stake in the home. 

Speaking at the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, Mr O’Brien said his proposal to extend the scheme for a further five years will “help thousands more to bridge the gap to buy their first home”. 

He said he is also seeking to expand the Fresh Start principle, which helps people who were recently divorced or separated receive Government-backed mortgages. 

Mr O'Brien also said that he is “pressing forward with changes that will penalise and prevent bad actors using the planning system for financial gain by preventing homes being built”. 

“The days of our planning system being an ATM for professional objectors is over,” he said. 

 “Our new planning bill will transform and streamline our planning system to get more homes built quicker. It will bring clarity, consistency and certainty to a system that has grown too complex and bureaucratic.” 

The Planning and Development Bill 2023 was published last November and hopes to improve consistency and alignment throughout all tiers of planning. 

O'Brien: 'More homes are being built'

Mr O’Brien claimed “more homes are being built and more homes are being bought than any time in a generation” in his Ard Fheis speech. 

“Fianna Fáil has been the driving force behind that transformation, and we will continue to support home building and first-time buyers,” he said. 

“There is a stark and clear choice in the upcoming elections. A choice between real progress and solutions or scrapping supports for home ownership and jeopardising the increase in home building.” 

Sinn Féin 'exploiting problems'

He accused Sinn Féin of only “exploiting problems, not solving them” when it comes to housing.  

“The Sinn Féin housing plan is as puzzling as that old riddle “often talked off, never seen, ever coming, never been.” For four years they have talked about it but no one has actually seen it,” he said. 

“We don’t know what they are in favour of, but we do know what they are against.  

“They are against home ownership. Sinn Féin would scrap the Help to Buy scheme, scrap the First Home Bridge the gap scheme, scrap the €70,000 vacant property grant 

“Almost 150,000 people are benefiting from those schemes. Sinn Féin would pull up the ladder of opportunity up from the next generation looking for that support.” 

Mr O'Brien claimed Fianna Fáil will always “stand for the home buyer”.