Fine Gael TD for Clare Joe Cooney has told the Oireachtas Housing Committee that Ireland’s affordable housing system is not working for people “caught between two stools” who earn too much to qualify for social housing but cannot secure a mortgage.
Addressing Department of Housing officials, including Laura Behan, Deputy Cooney said the one-size-fits-all approach to affordability was failing to meet the needs of many working households.
He said the criteria attached to existing schemes were too restrictive and left a growing number of people unable to buy or access affordable homes.
“I have seen people who do not meet the limit for social housing and cannot get a mortgage to get on the affordable housing ladder. Too many are being left behind and forced to stay living at home with their parents,” he said.
Deputy Cooney suggested that the State could take a shared stake in homes to help bridge the gap for those who qualify for a mortgage but cannot meet full market costs.
In response, Department official Laura Behan said the State had introduced a range of supports, including the First Home Scheme, the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme, cost-rental housing and local authority home loans. She also noted the availability of grants for vacant or derelict homes and serviced sites for self-builds.
Deputy Cooney said many of these schemes were still not delivering on the ground. He cited cases where builders were struggling to sell affordable homes because buyers could not secure loans and noted delays in serviced site schemes in his constituency.
“These are good ideas in principle, but there is little progress. We need to find a way to make them work in practice,” he said.
Separately, Deputy Cooney has also raised the issue of housing affordability in coastal areas through a parliamentary question to the Minister for Housing. He warned that people living in coastal communities were being priced out of their own areas due to growing demand for second and holiday homes.
He asked the Minister to consider developing a new scheme to provide long-term, State-owned rental housing for those above the social housing threshold but unable to buy locally.
In response, the Department said the Government’s Cost Rental model, introduced in 2021, was designed to support moderate-income households and that local priority could now be given to residents and workers in specific areas under new allocation rules.
Deputy Cooney said he would contact Approved Housing Bodies in coastal parts of the county that may be interested in delivering a Cost Rental scheme. He added that he would continue to push for stronger measures to support people who wish to live and work in their own communities.