Nearly 9,000 first-time buyers approved under First Home Scheme as average support tops €66,000
Majority of approvals concentrated in five counties as shared equity scheme continues to underpin access to new homes
Thursday 8th January | editor@ipropertyradio.com
9,008 first-time buyers had received approval under the State-backed First Home Scheme by the end of December 2025, according to the scheme’s latest quarterly update. Of these, 4,887 buyers have already completed the purchase or self-build of a home using the scheme.
The First Home Scheme is a €740 million shared equity fund designed to bridge the gap between a buyer’s mortgage, deposit and the price of a new home. It is a joint venture between the State and participating lenders AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB, and has been in operation since 2022.
Data from the final quarter of 2025 shows that 769 homes were purchased or built with support from the scheme in the three months to year end. The average purchase price or build cost of homes supported was €389,000.
On average, buyers received approximately €66,000 from the scheme, equivalent to 17% of the purchase price. The scheme can provide up to 30% of a home’s value, or up to 20% where the buyer is also using the Help to Buy incentive.
Demand remains heavily concentrated in areas with the highest house prices. Some 71% of live approvals relate to buyers in Dublin, Cork, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, with the remaining 29% spread across the other 21 counties.
Under the scheme’s shared equity model, the State takes an equity stake in the property in return for the support provided. Buyers can choose to buy back this stake at any time. No service charge applies for the first five years, after which an annual charge is levied on the equity amount: 1.75% from years six to 15, 2.15% from years 16 to 29, and 2.85% thereafter.
The Minister for Housing has said the scheme is a core part of the Government’s approach to supporting home ownership and that rising uptake reflects its role in helping households access new homes in a high-cost market.
For prospective first-time buyers, the latest figures underline both the scale of State support now embedded in the new homes market and the long-term financial considerations associated with shared equity, particularly beyond the initial five-year period.
