A Clare auctioneer says there’s no evidence of the county’s housing market stalling ahead of next week’s budget.
Speculation around what will be included in the estimated €8.5 billion package had reportedly led to market anxiety in recent weeks.
The Taoiseach and Tánaiste continue to disagree on a proposal to remove stamp duty for first time buyers.
Finance Minister Simon Harris has stated that there are no plans to remove the tax, despite calls from Fianna Fáil for the measure to be included in Budget 2027.
Managing Director of DNG O’Sullivan Hurley in Ennis, Douglas Hurley, says removing stamp duty would have limited benefit.
He claims putting more money in buyers’ pockets would only drive up the prices on the second-hand market.
It’s been suggested that greater incentives should be offered to developers to get houses to market more quickly and cost-effectively.
Government parties have also disagreed over proposed changes to the Help To Buy scheme in the run-up to the budget.
Housing Minister James Browne has reportedly faced pushback over plans to increase the maximum refund to €50,000.
Diarmuid McMahon of Sherry FitzGerald McMahon Auctioneers says prospective buyers should press on with their bids, as they will still benefit from any supports introduced next week.
Listen to the full interview here:

