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MORE THAN 1,000 applications have been lodged for the government’s First Home Scheme since it opened in July, according to Minister for Housing.
The scheme, which opened in July, involves the government taking a stake in a home purchase to help make up the difference between the buyer’s level of mortgage approval and the cost of the property.
Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said that many people seeking help from the scheme were renters “stuck in a rental trap”.
Speaking at the Ploughing Championships, the Minister said: Many of the people who have accessed that scheme and have now been able to buy their own home at an affordable rate are renters, people who were stuck in a rental trap”.
“In two short months, we’ve had well over 1,000 applications to that. We’ve issued our first contracts and we’ve had nearly 400 eligibility certs issued,” O’Brien said.
He said those will equate to “actual homes now that people are going to be able to buy because the state is bridging the affordability gap by taking an equity”.
As the minister arrived at the government’s Housing for All tent at the Ploughing Championships today, there were a large number of attendees eager to speak to the minister to press him on the housing crisis.
The minister told reporters that the “rental market is very difficult, it is very difficult for renters, there’s no question”.
Alongside the ordinary demands on the housing sector, the department has been trying to provide accommodation for refugees who have fled Russia’s war on Ukraine since February.
“We’ve already responded as a people, firstly, and supported by government through an unprecedented situation in Ukraine, where we’ve been able to house and accommodate over 50,000 of our Ukrainian friends here who fled their country because of, as we all know, a brutal attack on them by Putin and by Russian forces,” O’Brien said.
“We’re continuing the refurbishment of older properties, what were previously non-residential properties, that is moving at pace. Bed spaces are being handed over at this stage. But the situation is not easy, there’s no question about that.”
Minister O’Brien compared Ireland’s response to the UK’s, which has been criticised on some fronts for having been relatively slower than certain other countries to support Ukrainian refugees.
“I think when you look at our nearest neighbour, we’ve responded as a country that has had, through our own history, that understands completely what it’s like to be persecuted, what it’s like to have our families and our predecessors and ancestors have to leave this country.
“I think it’s incumbent upon us morally that we do everything we can to help and we will and will continue to do.”
It is hypocritical in the extreme that the US would speak of Security Council/UN resolutions being broken when it’s closet ally in the Middle East, breaks them or outright ignores them on a daily basis.
Also, lest the world forget, the US contributed to North Korea becoming a nuclear state when it turned a blind eye to Pakistani nuclear scientists assisting the North Koreans with nuclear knowledge and equipment claiming officially no such transfer was occurring when in reality it knew what was occurring but did not want to jeopardise relations with Pakistan.
Seoirse, are you sure your not b Lowe because you sound exactly like him. Go ahead and defend North Korea. You make a stupid argument!
They broke international shipping laws and got caught. Get over it.
”Go ahead and defend North Korea.”
He is not necessarily defending N Korea – just stating facts . If facts are too much for u – !!
Jim, saoirse, is stating this as fact. How does he know what went on?
B Lowe talking through his …. again. If is ant-British or anti-US Lowe will be there.
I think b Lowe has a new identity
Correction Pauric, even if its an unrelated topic, if an anti-UK or anti-US slant can somehow be put on it, no matter how tenuous, BLowe will be there…
”, if an anti-UK or anti-US slant can somehow be put on it, no matter how tenuous, BLowe will be there…”
the problem is that with the way the US /UK and many countries in the West behave – it is easy to knock their many illegal actions . Not too many countries have a President who openly boasts of his Murder List .
The west – and US in particular seem to be going out of their way to create enemies – maybe they do that on purpose -to keep the Arms trade going and the money.
Jim, really? Would you like to comment on the illegal activities of North Korea. I believe it has its own arms trade. Also money laundering.
Check it all out and get back to us.
How about the arms trading done by Sweden, France, Austria, Russia amongst others.
But for you and your ilk it’s always the same ole anti- US RANT’
@Jim
Yes, but this article is about an illegal ams shipment from Cuba to North Korea, and the Panamanian response after uncovering it!
Its a bit like the people who twist almost every article on TJ to make a comment about our bankers and politicians!
Its wrong for Cuba to export arms – to N Korea – but ok for US ,UK and France to export to wherever they wish eg Saudi Arabia , Syria ,Iran Israel etc – .
BBC this morning reported that UK govt had issued 3,000 licenses [ value £ 12 Billion ] for arms export to several countries eg China , Iran, Saudi Arabia , Israel- – but that all legal and ok -
——— total hypocrisy once again – but will make good headlines on Fox and keep US population in more fear – a difficult feat .
The difference is that the US ,UK France etc are not hiding their sales in shiploads of Sugar. They are following international trade rules.
”They are following international trade rules.”
— which they write themselves !!
…typical, 2 dodgy dictatorships got caught dealing in spare parts for nuclear weapons but people can’t resist the opportunity to ‘America bash’
Cuba is one cheeky little k^^t
What is a k^^t?
Same as a C^^T
Knight. Cuba is a cheeky little knight.
Sure those were just props for parades
Obvious dry run
The North Koreans seized a small US navy ship years ago, they refused to give it back and now take what few tourists they get on tours of it, rubbing the US noses in the fact they kept the vessel. This cargo ship should be kept also, not necessarily because of the US ship being kept but to show NK that any ship found to be smuggling prohibited weapons “regardless of which country owns the vessel” or components will be seized. lets see how they will get contracts for shipping illegal weapons then. its the right thing to do, this dictatorship is starving its own people while buying illegal weapons to threaten the rest of the world. something needs to be done to stop it, no more words, action is needed.
Equipment was not listed on the manifest and was hidden under tons of sugar and sure tis old anyway me arse …… Cuba should not send to that madcap country god only knows what they will do with it . Seize the ship and sell it to pay for the upgrading work in Panama and warn Cuba and North Korea that in future if they try this the ship will be seized and they will lose the cargo . Do it legitimate like everyone else . As regards the crew 10 years in bars minimum , they knew what they were carting by their carry on and 20 for the captain . This will send the right message .
Wow! We are in the ha’penny place…
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