More than 10,000 home buyers have now been approved for funding under the First Home Scheme.
According to new figures, The scheme has provided over €354m in support to people who have bought or self-built their homes.
The First Home Scheme was set up to provide funding to first-time buyers who, despite having a deposit and mortgage approval in place, still could not cover the cost of a new-build home.
In exchange for providing funding, the First Home Scheme takes an equity stake of up to 30% in the home.
Some 1,037 approvals have taken place in the first quarter of this year and the scheme has now supported 5,329 home purchases to date.
A total of 10,045 buyers in all 26 counties have been approved and have received eligibility certificates allowing them to buy or build their chosen home. More than 23,000 potential buyers or self-builders have registered their interest in the scheme.
The average price for homes purchased or built using the scheme is about €390,000, while the average support being provided by the First Home Scheme to date is about €66,000, or 17% of the average purchase price.
Around two-third or 66% of First Home Scheme users are also availing of the Help to Buy scheme that allows first-time buyers of new property to claim back up to €30,000 or 10% of the purchase price, whichever is the lesser, from income tax and bank interest Dirt they have paid over the previous four years.
71% of approvals have been for buyers in Dublin, Cork, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, with the remaining 29% spread across the remaining 21 counties throughout Ireland.
The First Home Scheme's chief executive Michael Broderick said the continued growth of the scheme is great news for first-time buyers in particular.
"Q1 2026 was also notable given we supported our 5,000th home purchase - a significant milestone which is only achievable through a lot of hard work and support from several stakeholders including the Department of Housing and participating lenders," the CEO said.
"The success of the scheme is critically important at a time when support for first-time buyers and other buyers is required. I look forward to overseeing further progress this year and beyond," he added.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne said the scheme plays a genuinely essential role in widening access to the housing market and enabling thousands of people to purchase a home for the first time.
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