State plan to lease 2,400 homes from funds is set to cost almost €1 billion

New records show the government has little or no idea of the scale of activity being engaged in by institutional funds in this country

Darragh O’Brien, the Minister for Housing and his government colleagues came under pressure over a last-minute stamp duty exemption. Picture: RollingNews.ie

The government’s plan to lease 2,400 homes from institutional funds this year will cost close to €1 billion in total over the 25-year term of the deals, the Business Post can reveal.

Last week, Darragh O’Brien, the Minister for Housing and his government colleagues came under pressure over a last-minute stamp duty exemption brought forward for funds that bulk buy homes to lease to the state for social housing.

Defending the move, Taoiseach Micheál ...