Labour: 'Help to buy' scheme driving up housing costs

Labour has said the Government needs to look again at its housing policies.

Yesterday, Housing Minister Simon Coveney denied that the 'help to buy' scheme is driving up costs - after two separate reports showed a spike in prices for the first three months of the year.

However Labour's Jan O'Sullivan believes he's got that wrong: "That scheme is part of the problem.

"We need to see is real delivery in relation to supply.

"Unfortunately there wasn't even a impact assessment carried out on that scheme and unfortunately we are seeing an impact now that it is contributing to rising house prices."