Simon Coveney insists help-to-buy scheme ‘right thing to do’

Simon Coveney has defended the first-time buyer’s grant but conceded that all housing policy will have to be examined ahead of the budget.

The former housing minister has claimed that the scheme to help first-time buyers purchase new homes has led to an increase in construction.

It comes after Leo Varadkar strongly indicted after becoming Taoiseach that the grant could be scrapped and said it would be looked at in the context of Budget 2018.