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THE GREEN PARTY manifesto contains a pledge to overhaul the Help-to-Buy scheme so that it’s available to renters who are looking to buy their home from their landlord.
With an election due to be called this week, political parties are putting the finishing touches to their manifestos.
A number of parties have outlined their plans to overhaul the childcare system in Ireland, while the Tánaiste has said Fianna Fáil plans to expand the First Home Scheme if returned to government.
TheJournal understands that the Green Party is also looking at housing policy reforms, targeting the existing Help-to-Buy scheme, which offers a tax rebate of up to €30,000 to people looking to buy new builds.
Currently, it is limited to new builds in order to incentivise the construction industry to build new homes.
“What we’re proposing is that this would be extended to people who are looking to buy their existing home if their landlord is selling up,” a Green Party source said.
“This could offer someone whose tenancy is ending a realistic opportunity to buy their home off their landlord. We recently extended the First Home scheme to this cohort, bringing down the up-front cost of the purchase by up to 30%. But for many hard-pressed renters, the need to secure a deposit can be a major barrier to buying their home.
The purpose of the Help-to-Buy scheme is to help homebuyers to get their deposit together, so it makes sense to use it, alongside the first home scheme, to prevent evictions and increase home ownership,” they added.
“Considering how high rents are relative to mortgages, many people would end up with mortgage repayments that are lower than their rents,” said this source.
The party is also looking at overhauling the Help-to-Buy scheme so that it would be open to people who have returned to Ireland in the last five years but may not have paid enough tax to qualify for meaningful financial assistance.
The party does not propose limiting the Help-to-Buy scheme to all purchasers of second-hand properties as this could have an inflationary effect.
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They’ll probably want to further tax the people who already own houses to pay for the scheme.
@Bryan: yes that would be about it, one thing about roderic he makes decisions then thinks out the consequences.
@Paddy C: It’s probably part of his plan to give every illegal immigrant their own front door key.
Really hope this crowd are decimated in the upcoming GE
@DC: It’s a FF and FG government featuring the Green Party. It’s FF and FG you should be hoping get decimated. But as always, Irish voters will blame the smaller government party, ignore FF/FG, vote them back in and spend the next 5 years moaning about them.
@Anthony Curran: it’s the evil shinners I hope get a good dose of karma
@Anthony Curran:
I have a new name for them…
The Green mudflap party.
@Anthony Curran: No Anthony it’s the two parties that used them will pawn them off when figures are high. Need a scape goat. But the greens were warned about this in 2020.
And played into ffg hands.
So now they will suffer, like labour, pds, etc.
@Colette Byrne: the greens got a lot pushed through for their green agenda & it has nothing to do with them being with FGFF they anoyed a lot of people with the taxes etc they put on ordinary people & then O ‘Gorman invited everyone in & told them they would have their own front door within 4 months
@Sheila McNulty: it’s everything to do with them going In to power with ffg.
They tried to put through an extra carbon tax during the week that would have impacted motorists but thankfully it was shot down. Hopefully they are decimated this election.
@Eddienowy Byrne: Just another way to tax the working class so they can pay NGOs millions to put illegals in our state
The Green Party is the most Dangerous Party there is.
ROG is the most Dangerous minister ever to step foot in Government.
They need to go.
@Gerard Carey: Can you elaborate?
@Mick Duvanny: There are none so blind as those who will not see!
@Mick Duvanny: No.
@Mick Duvanny: If you need him to elaborate your part of the problem
@Mick Duvanny: ask Rodders where are the missing children went.
the bicycle lane party couldn’t organise a garden fete….not to mind housing folk ..
@William O leary: s Sounds like you would be more into a diesel party
These manifestos mean nothing.. all lies and empty promises.
@Lydia Mcloughlin: I assume there’s more to it than this paragraph, but wouldn’t be surprised if that was it.
They have done more damage to the goodwill of the populace towards environmentalism than anyone.
They’ve done for the environment what Fred West did for crazy paving.
How could anyone in their right mind vote for them.
I can’t wait to hear that the Green Party has been wiped out at the GE
@frank dowling: Oh happy days….
The Green party can f off with their manifesto. If it doesn’t involve taxing the life out of people they won’t propose it. The sooner they are removed from the political landscape the better.
@Gerry Lamont: I don’t get it. They’re a bit part player in the present government. Why does their always seem to be more anger in Ireland towards the smaller of the coalition partners?
@Anthony Curran: anger should be directed towards the pedo party
@Anthony Curran: Maybe because they have a disproportionate role in raising taxes, and they have planted more foreigners in the country than Cromwell.
@Anthony Curran: maybe because their greed for power and short sighted strategy denied the public of a second chance to choose other than Ff / Fg. A second election at the time could have totally changes the setup.
@Gerry Lamont: I agree but my worry is fg ff sf ect backed their policies
Too little, very late, no more Greens
Green policies mean you install smart meters to help learn to conserve electricity use, but when one indeed does, gets penalised for less than minimum use and get charged for electricity you didn’t even use..
@Michale Kane: that happens with old meters not the standard meters, I’m paying for less Kws this year since the smart meter was installed than the last 4-5 years… it’s the people who can reverse their meters to cheat the system that are losing out with the untouchable smart meters. Don’t believe all you read!
A manifesto means absolutely nothing. It’s a catch call marketing strategy to put more of their bulbs on seats with not a clue of how to project and manage those aspirations. Phrases like “we can build together” or “will do it together” meaningless words which really puts 50% blame back on Joe public when they don’t succeed and ham fist their time in office. Shower of idealistic wasters, the only thing Green about them is their competence in management of anything.
@Maurice Byrne: soo brutal to watch out on every single box u tick lads twice…
They blatantly lied over the referendum…I would not believe one word out of their lying mouths, especially Roderics!
A totally destructive party, will take decades to repair the damage, if at all!
The Greens are the political equivalent of ISIS.
@Hunt Ley: Really? Commentators on here are mental. Thank God everyone outside the Journal bubble is more sane
@Sean Hayes: A paid up member of the Green Party
How about something practical simple like a solar panel and wind turbine for people’s gaff ?
Help save the environment while people save money for a change.
Instead of yer ‘Cows Farst are Baad’ Datacentres are Goood’. Policy Paradox …
Actually maybe operate in real world and try and work with farmers and rest on likes of self sufficiency, power generation, solar farming, whatever and offset emissions, ease into more sustainable and some may transition completely.
instead we get the opposite, where farmers are demonised as ‘killers of the planet’ like cars, as you lot spin the ‘wonders’ of the vast electricity consumption and predicted exponential growth of the hallowed ‘Datacentres’ .., that sir is hypocritical.
Same with CETA, against before head was in trough, all for after some time enjoying head in the trough.
Roderick O’Gorman , more of a curse than Oliver Cromwell .
@Jim Ryan: Woderic would make Cromwell look like a philanthropist!
They constantly object to Planning Developments in our locality & object to families with a Housing Need from building on their own lands. Their leader then tweeted the World promising own door Accommodation within months to all that arrive, the biggest pull factor that has led to record numbers arriving. The Green Party & Roderic O Gorman have no interest in helping Irish people with Housing. Hopefully they will be wiped out & erased at the polls. Don’t come to my door with your lies either !
Beautiful, keep digging that hole Rodders. This is the latest bonkers leftie idea that’ll backfire by citizens having to pay MORE taxes. Oblivion coming soon to the greens hopefully
@Des Daly: lefty loosey, righty tighty, someone really have thought you this as a child.
Way too little and way too late,they know their goose is cooked and the show is over for them..bye bye greens,close the door behind you so it keeps the heat in !
These greens definitely have an agenda. I haven’t worked it out yet, but there’s something fishy about it. I would take anything they say or promise with a huge pinch of salt.
What’s the point of trying to to save the planet. When we have the Israelis and Russians blowing it to hell.
Thought O’Gorman’s remark that there were enough lampposts for us all [politicians] was a Freudian slip.
Like every small party, greens will suffer badly, at the hands of ffg. It’s just a numbers game,
To late now for them, the green agenda failed miserably when they stood by data centres, and every taxpayer is footing the bill with increased bills.
Huge polluters. So as a long time green voter, I won’t be voting for any party who put business before people. As minister for children who stood over the scoliosis scandal he needs to go, I’m sure there are genuinely interested greens.
But they need to join another party. Not this right wing excuse of a green party. Greens should be a left party.
It might simply be a continuation of FFG+Greens as they have 50% of support in recent polls.
@look after the old people who paid prsi all there life
Such c rap at a time so close to an election
No comments open on Government’s significant new powers to search US aircraft suspected of carrying weapons .
@Jim Ryan: What powers?? another deflection. Pbp has been saying this for decades. Just another election spin. Won’t ever happen under ffg.
Sure, what about the shamrock in March. couldn’t miss out on that important trip.
@Jim Ryan: they already have sufficient powers, just unused due to cowardice.
Sure it does!
Voted for evictions but then help to buy its there all ready
Let’s hope the next government consists of a larger Green Parry, FF FG and a bigger majority in the Dail
@Peter Byrne: Fffg No1fan Peter Byrne talking the usual tripe.Grow a pair wimp.
What could possibly go wrong. Jayus!!
If there was a Monster Raving Lunatic party here like the uk have, they would be our next government if they fielded enough candidates.
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