Housing

Analysis: Sinn Féin’s €300,000 house? Darragh O’Brien has already delivered it

The housing minister has not only managed to make new-build homes cost less for first-time buyers, he did it without devaluing property prices

The government has criticised Sinn Féin’s plan for houses to fall to €300,000 in Dublin and also questioned if it was even achievable Picture: PA

A throwaway comment made by Darragh O’Brien when he was opening a new housing estate on Monday was quite instructive. It showed he and Sinn Féin really do agree on something.

The state, he said, was giving “about €100,000 in support” to many first-time buyers to help them onto the property ladder.

“That’s unprecedented,” the housing minister said.

Under the Help to Buy Scheme, first-time buyers can get up to €30,000 from the state for ...