Tánaiste Simon Coveney backs home-loan scheme, despite doubters

Tánaiste Simon Coveney has said that the Government’s €200m home-loan scheme has been a success, despite finance officials warning it posed a risk to the State.

In the Dáil, TDs heard that, in a written response to the Housing Department, the Department of Finance said the rationale for the measure was unclear, involved significant risk of exposure to the State, and would do nothing to increase housing supply, when supply, not demand, was the problem.

“Despite this, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, ignored these concerns,” said Sinn Fein housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin.