Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has accused Taoiseach Simon Harris of misleading the public and that the government’s rates and development levy waiver has not made homes cheaper to buy.

The comment was made as Simon Harris claimed that the waiving of development levies had made it cheaper to buy a home.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“Today, Taoiseach Simon Harris claimed that the waiving of development levies had made it cheaper to buy a home. His comments were made as he announced the waiver would be extended to the end of the year.

“Simon Harris’ claim is completely false. In the last year, according to the CSO property price index, the cost of a new-build home rose by 9%. Indeed, not only are house prices rising, but the rate of increase is accelerating.

“The waiving of utility connections and development levies is estimated to cost the exchequer €380m in a full year. This is a very significant amount of taxpayers’ money.

“While the waiver may make some smaller housing schemes more viable, in most cases it will simply boost larger developers’ and investors’ profits. There is no way to ensure that the savings to the builder are passed onto the purchaser or the tenant.

“I would be very interested to know what analysis, if any, was undertaken by the Department of Housing on the impact of the waiver in its first year of operation.

“I would also like to know on what evidence the Taoiseach has made his claim that the waiver has made buying a home cheaper.

“Today’s announcement by the Taoiseach just shows how out of touch he is on the deepening housing crisis. This kind of tinkering around the edges will do nothing to address the core problem, the lack of an adequate supply of genuinely affordable homes.

“Only a dramatic scaling-up of state investment in the delivery of affordable homes to buy and rent will address the housing crisis – something this government is both unwilling and incapable of doing.”