Home ownership to be banned under Sinn Féin plans – Dillon

Sinn Fein are completely opposed to people fully owning their own home and deciding what they can do with their own property in the future, a Fine Gael Minister has said.

Minister Alan Dillon said under Mary Lou McDonald’s housing plans, those seeking to own their own homes will not be able to fully decide what happens the property in the future.

“In their own document, Sinn Féin say they want the State to retain “ownership of the land” on which people’s homes are built on.

“How does that work? Why won’t they let people fully own their own homes and the land on which foundations are laid?

“They are against hard working people fully owning their own homes and land, providing for their families and deciding what to do with them in the future.

“Preset legally binding conditions will prevent prospective homeowners from deciding what should become their home under the Mary Lou plan. It’s complete nonsense,” Mr Dillon said.

Sinn Féin claim their plan will deliver homes for prices up to €300,000.

“Where,” Deputy Dillon asks.

“Where will we find these mythical homes for sale for between €250,000 and €300,000? How many bedrooms will there be? One bed apartments or detached homes? Back gardens or none?

“Last December, Sinn Féin’s leader said €300,000 was to be the average home price.

“When no detailed plans were provided as to how they would provide this, they described it as ‘affordable’. They can’t explain this.

“Market conditions, property size, location and finance are all aspects that have to be taken into account before a buyer will determine what is ‘affordable’, not Sinn Féin.

“They’ve also done a U-turn on their opposition to the development levy waiver, having criticised it in April of this year.

“There are so many hanging questions from this, Sinn Féin and Mary Lou are flip flopping from one issue to the next on housing,” the Fine Gael Minister said.

Sinn Féin will still abolish Help To Buy, the First Home Scheme and grants for vacant and derelict homes.

“Fine Gael introduced the Help to Buy Scheme in 2017 to assist first-time buyers across the country by providing a €30,000 income tax rebate for deposit costs. Mary Lou McDonald will abolish this and all other successful schemes introduced by Fine Gael,” Minister Dillon said.

“Sinn Féin have not said how many social homes they intend to build in their plan. Are they planning to sacrifice social homes?

“Sinn Féin have not said how many private homes will be built in the state.

“If they are proposing 50,000 affordable homes to purchase or rent, who will build the social and private homes also needed? The capacity of the construction sector must be taken into account,” Deputy Dillon added.