The First Home Scheme, an affordable housing initiative backed by the Government, issued its report from the last quarter of 2025.
According to the updates, 4,887 homes have been already bought or self-built using the scheme since it was launched in 2022. A total of 9,008 applications have been approved in the same period.
In the last three months of last year, 769 homes were purchased or built with the support of the scheme.
The scheme, which is a joint venture between the Government and AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB, provides financial support to first-time buyers in purchasing a new home or building their own home.
The FHS can provide a maximum of 30% of the purchase price or 20% if the buyer is also using the Help to Buy scheme, adding to the deposit and the mortgage.
The average price for homes bought or built with the FHS was €389,000, while the average support provided stood at about €66,000 or 17% of the total price.
Buyers in Dublin, Kildare, Cork, Meath and Wicklow are heaviest users of the scheme.
The scheme is based on a shared equity principle, which means the applicant receives the money in return for a stake in the property. To fully own the home, they can buy back the stake at any time.
While there is no charge for the first five years of home ownership, a service charge will apply afterwards. It is a percentage of the amount the FHS paid when the home was bought: 1.75% for years 6 to 15, 2.15% for years 16 to 29, 2.85% for years 30 and over.
