Five hundred new homes built in Westmeath in 2023, Burke confirms
Five hundred and nine new homes were built in Westmeath in 2023, Fine Gael Minister Peter Burke has confirmed, which is an increase of 100 homes on the previous year’s figure.
The CSO figures released this week show we are making steady and real progress on new builds, he stated: “32,695 new homes were built around Ireland last year, an increase of 10% from 2022. In October, November and December of last year, more than 10,000 new homes were completed, which was an increase of 13% on 2022.
“The signs of this accelerated progress on new homes is clear in Westmeath as many projects come to completion. It is great to see lights on at the many new developments in Mullingar, offering a bright future for the individuals, couples and families who now live in them.”
The local minister said this is the highest level of home building in 15 years. “Under Fine Gael, home building has increased from just 5,000 per year to almost 33,000 – a six-fold increase. Five hundred first time buyers are drawing down their mortgages each week – also the highest level of first time buyer activity in 15 years, since the economic crash.”
The Help to Buy scheme, launched in 2017, provides first time buyers with up to €30,000 in the form of an income tax rebate towards the cost of a deposit. The scheme was expanded and enhanced in 2020.
“The government launched our ambitious Housing for All plan in 2021 and the following year, the First Home Scheme was launched, bridging the gap for eligible purchasers between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home. These are just two of several schemes introduced to be a real help to people getting a home,” said Minister Burke.
“The new housing completion figures demonstrate what we can see happening around us in Westmeath that more houses are coming on the market. But behind these figures are the people, individuals, couples and families, who now own their own homes.
“This momentum will continue to deliver housing in communities around the constituency and realise the dream of so many to own their own homes. “Housing for All is becoming a reality, the figures back that up,” concluded Minster Burke.