Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 February 2023
192. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance the way a divorced single person can access the help-to-buy-scheme under the fresh start principle; when this can take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9290/23]
View answerSection 477C of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (TCA) requires that applicants for the Help to Buy (HTB) scheme must be first-time purchasers, which is defined as:
" '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;"
There are no exceptions to the HTB definition of first time purchaser. This includes circumstances where there is more than one person involved in the purchase or building of a new home. The intention behind this is to target the tax relief on 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 and those who could not have availed of HTB relief previously.
The "fresh start" principle set out in Section 10 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021, and which relates to the criteria for qualifying for affordable housing, does not apply to HTB. I have no plans at present to extend HTB to make provision for those who might qualify under that principle.
