Minister for Finance statement on the review of the help to buy scheme

The Minister states:

The Help to Buy incentive, is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with the deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. It also has as an aim to encourage additional supply of new houses by supporting demand.

Help to Buy provides a refund of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in Ireland over the previous four years, subject to limits outlined in the legislation.

As of 31 March 2025, the scheme had supported almost 55,000 individuals or couples to buy their own home. The estimated total value of approved Help to Buy claims is in the order of €1.2 billion.

The Programme for Government commits to the retention and revision of the Help to Buy scheme and the extension the scheme until 2030.

In line with best practice and as with all proposals for new tax measures or the amendment of existing tax reliefs, any retention and revision of a scheme must be assessed in accordance with the Department of Finance's Tax Expenditure Guidelines. These make clear the importance that any policy proposal which involves tax expenditures should only occur in limited circumstances where there are demonstrable market failures and where a tax-based incentive is more efficient than a direct expenditure intervention.

Any revisions to the scheme would have to be considered as part of the annual Budget and Finance Bill processes and take into account the effective operation of the scheme and the impact any proposed changes would have on the broader housing market.