Fine Gael has announced a comprehensive housing strategy that aims to tackle Ireland’s housing crisis through increased tax credits and support for frontline workers. The party’s new policy promises to construct over 300,000 homes by 2030, backed by a substantial €40 billion investment, including €10 billion from the Apple tax windfall.
A key feature of the plan includes boosting the Rent Tax Credit to €1,500 per individual or €3,000 per couple, competing with Fianna Fáil’s recent proposal to increase the credit to at least €2,000. The party also plans to introduce dedicated cost-rental housing for frontline workers, addressing growing concerns about teachers and healthcare staff struggling to afford accommodation near their workplaces.
The proposal includes increasing the Help-to-Buy grant to €40,000 for first-time buyers and expanding the First Home Scheme to include second-hand homes. Additionally, Fine Gael plans to extend the Landlord Tax Credit until 2030 to encourage property owners to remain in the rental market.
However, Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin has criticized these measures, arguing that such schemes only drive up house prices and that rent credits without a rent freeze are ineffective. Both Simon Harris and Micheál Martin have dismissed these criticisms.