{
  "id": 918904,
  "title": "Help to buy scheme rejects nearly half of applicants",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/help-to-buy-scheme-rejects-nearly-half-of-applicants",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-14T23:40:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTE News",
    "slug": "rte-news",
    "url": "https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2026/0815/1587974-help-to-buy-scheme-rejects-nearly-half-of-applicants/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Help to Buy scheme, introduced in 2016, has provided financial assistance to nearly 49,000 applicants since July 2020, according to new figures. However, nearly half of these applicants either did not draw down the support or had their applications rejected. In total, 48,878 people received help over the past six years, out of 88,532 applicants. This means that around 40,000 applications resulted in rejection or no home purchase.\n\nThe scheme aims to make buying a first home more affordable by offering up to 10% of the property price, up to €30,000, to qualifying applicants. To qualify, individuals must be first-time buyers with no previous property purchase experience, purchasing a new or self-build home, and have paid income tax and DIRT in the past four years. The scheme was extended until at least 2029.\n\nCork, Dublin, Kildare, and Meath have seen the most applications and approvals, indicating that the need for the scheme is particularly high in Ireland's urban and commuter areas. Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris responded to the figures, emphasizing the importance of homeownership for many individuals and families. Harris stated that while the scheme has helped thousands of first-time buyers secure the deposit required, there is still more work to be done to increase housing supply and provide practical supports like Help to Buy.",
  "summary": "Almost 49,000 people have received financial support from the Government's help to buy scheme since July 2020, new figures show.",
  "key_points": [
    "Nearly 49,000 applicants received Help to Buy assistance since 2020",
    "48,878 applicants either rejected or didn't draw down support",
    "Cork, Dublin, Kildare, Meath saw most applications and approvals"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The high rejection rate of Help to Buy applications highlights the challenges many first-time buyers still face in securing a home, despite the scheme's efforts to make homeownership more affordable.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}