Part of Sinn Féin’s new housing plan has been slammed as a “Frankenstein-style arrangement” by Simon Harris.
Sinn Féin unveiled its five-year A Home Of Your Own plan to build 300,000 homes at a cost of €39 billion.
As part of its plan, the party said it will build affordable homes through the state retaining ownership of the land on which the house is built.
It means that an affordable home purchaser would own their home but not the land on which it is built.
The proposal has been criticised by the Taoiseach.
“I think there’s a reason why they call the document Home Of Your Own rather than home you own, because the kind of Frankenstein-style arrangement here, in terms of what exactly is the model,” Mr Harris said.
“So are we talking about a situation now where you can own a home, but you won’t own the land on which the home is built?
“We’re going to have a house now that you think you own, you won’t own the land on which it’s built, and then when you go to sell the house, do you kind of need Eoin O Broin’s permission? Who can I sell it to? How much can I sell it for? When can I sell it?
“This is a long way from the home ownership model that is ingrained in people in this country.
“Four and a half years into the Dáil term, with a general election due by next March, the main opposition party have decided to publish a housing policy. I welcome that, but there are a lot more questions than there are answers.”
As part of the plan, Sinn Féin said it will phase out existing subsidies and shared equity schemes as well as reducing rent subsidies and delivering affordable homes between €250,000 and €300,000.
It also pledged to introduce a stamp duty exemption for first-time buyers, which will see house buyers not paying stamp duty on a property valued at €450,000 or less.
Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said there was “very little to like” about the plan.
“I’ll be very honest with you, I’m quite underwhelmed by the plan that’s been published,” he said on Monday.
“I welcome the fact they have, at last, published a plan, because they’ve been saying they would do that for nearly two years.
“But it is interesting. There’s certain elements of it, which they have clearly stated that they’ll continue existing government policy, which is the introducing statutory timelines on planning, to have a more efficient planning system.
“What is ironic on that is that we’re actually doing that very thing through the Planning and Development Bill in the Oireachtas at the moment, that Sinn Fein have delayed and opposed right the way through every single stage of that plan.
“Mary Lou McDonald’s contention that this plan would support home ownership is absolutely, totally and utterly incorrect.
“If anything, it will take the legs from under prospective homeowners that are out there.
“They’ve said it is basically stopping, scrapping, abolishing, restricting existing schemes that are there.”
