Lenders have rules around gross and net income which must be met first before you get approval on a mortgage. These can vary from lender to lender

Nearly €200m of taxpayers’ money has been spend on people who did not need it to buy their home, said Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin.

With supply remaining low and demand increasing sharply, the market could boil over into panic buying if further incentives are introduced as part of this year's budget, economists have warned

Thousands of workers are to be hit with tax bills having received payments on Covid support schemes – but Revenue says this will not be a factor in assessing help-to-buy applications