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GE2024HousingLAST UPDATE | 11 Nov 2024
HOUSING HAS BEEN dubbed the most important issue as we head into the early days of the election campaign.
Today, Fine Gael set out its stall on what it plans to do to deliver more houses, if re-elected to government.
While much of the press conference was taken up with questions of Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary’s comments on teachers and Fine Gaelers reaction, Taoiseach Simon Harris today outlined the key measures at a press conference in Dublin today, announcing that Fine Gael will:
Currently the Help-to-Buy grant stands at €30,000 while the First Home Scheme only applies to new housing units.
In an unfortunate gaffe, when answering a question as to why voters should trust Fine Gael’s plan when they have been in government for the last 14 years, Harris’ “new energy” sign fell to the floor.
During his speech, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris was interrupted when the sign on his podium fell off. Harris was attempting to convince the public to trust the party with housing, despite record high homelessness during their previous term in government. #FineGael #GE2024 pic.twitter.com/azYXj52m1w
— Virgin Media News (@VirginMediaNews) November 11, 2024
Laughing off the incident, Harris went on to state the party’s proposals to build over 300,000 homes between now and 2030 will require a €40 billion investment, €10 billion of which will come from the Apple windfall.
Speaking at the Fianna Fáil manifesto launch today, party leader Micheál Martin said he was “surprised” to read reports of Fine Gael’s proposal to use the Apple Tax money to increase Help to Buy.
“Apple funding should not be used for demand-led schemes. That was agreed by the three parties in Government,” the Tánaiste said.
Speaking at the launch of the policy in Dublin this morning, Taoiseach Simon Harris said supports for first-time buyers is a red line for Fine Gael, stating that the party would not go into government with a party that would “pull the rug” from under first-time buyers.
Simon Harris says they won’t go into government with a party that wants to ‘pull the rug’ from under first-time buyers.
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) November 11, 2024
He confirms the Help to Buy and First Home scheme will be expanded if they’re in government again.
Some opposition parties will be interested in that one. pic.twitter.com/agiIGNEU7b
Labour’s housing policy pledges to phase out the Help-to-Buy scheme over time by 2029 and develop a more income-targeted Save to Buy scheme.
There’s been some reports Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have eyed up the party as a possible third partner, so this could be an obstacle.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin have already made it clear they plan to scrap the two first-time buyer schemes gradually over a number of years.
One of the proposals in the Fine Gael manifesto is the expansion of the Rent Tax Credit to €1,500 per renter or €3,000 per couple in a bid to alleviate rental costs for tenants.
The pledge comes days after Fianna Fáil’s Micheál Martin told The Journal that his party planned to “at a minimum” double the tax credit.
Under Fianna Fáil’s plan, the Rent Tax Credit would be boosted to at least €2,000 after already increasing in October’s Budget to €1,000.
Aside from the measures above, the party pledges to build 12,000 social homes per year and expand the delivery of one-bed units by local authorities.
The party wants to increase affordable homes from 4,750 per year in 2025 to 12,000 in 2030.
The party says it also wants to increase the geographic spread of the affordable purchase schemes in all counties.
Harris began the press conference in Dublin today by moving to differentiate his party from that of Fianna Fáil, a party it has been in government with and been in a confidence and supply arrangement,
In a subtle dig to his old coalition partners, Harris reminded people of the “mismanagement of the country” prior to Fine Gael entering into government. He said the “scars of the recession” are still felt by many.
Harris recalled how some “bankrupt our country”, recalling that people would turn up in his constituency office in tears during those years over fears they would lose their home.
Harris emphasised the importance of housing as the greatest challenge facing Ireland, with housing being the top priority for the upcoming general election.
Fine Gael’s plan, he said, aims to deliver 303,000 new homes by 2030, with 53% receiving state subsidies.
Harris defended the moves to extend the two housing support schemes, stating in relation to the Help-to-Buy Scheme:
“Bear in mind, this isn’t some gift from the government. This is simply the government allowing you take some of your own money back that you paid in tax and put it towards a new home.”
In terms of homelessness, he said despite the largest number of social homes delivered last year since 1975, the benefit in terms of reducing homelessness was not achieved.
“I do believe we now need to see social housing allocations tweaked to support particularly families who have been in homelessness,” he said.
The Fianna Fáil leader has said if his party re-enters government, it would be seeking the housing brief again.
Harris said he would have to “bite his lip” on the matter, stating that he thinks it’s very unusual that in the early stages of the campaign, people are already divvying up government departments.
Sinn Féin has criticised moves to expand the First Home Scheme and the Help-to-Buy Scheme, with the party stating in their housing policy that the will move to scrap the supports by phasing them out gradually.
The party’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin claims the supports have only resulted in increased house prices, something both Simon Harris and Micheál Martin have dismissed.
Ó Broin has also hit out at the idea of increasing the rent credit, stating that it serves no purpose if it is not accompanied by a rent freeze.
Martin hit out at Sinn Féin’s proposal’s on housing, saying that they would “crucify” first time buyers.
“They have a very convoluted model in terms of people owning the house but not owning the land on which it is built,” the Tánaiste said.
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