35-year mortgage faced by a Laois man highlighted

Long mortgages and measures that could increase the supply of homes were raised with the housing Minister in the Dáil before Christmas by a Laois TD.

Portlaoise-based Willie Aird told Minister James Browne about a recent interaction he had with a young man who had purchased a home.

"He is 31 years of age, and he got a mortgage yesterday for 35 years at €1,778 per month. He will be 66 when he has the mortgage paid. That is the reality we are living in at the moment. We will back the Minister 100% in this House on anything he can do to help these young people," said the Fine Gael TD.

During 2025, the Government proposed allowing log cabins/modular homes up to 45m² in back gardens without full planning permission to ease the housing crisis. 

Dep Aird asked Minister Browne to advance this. MORE BELOW PHOTO.

"Could the Minister please work on permissions for log cabins and modular homes to allow people to put a log cabin on a site in cases where they cannot afford a house, and also modular homes on a site or behind a house?

"This is a great plan. It will be a great help to people. It is not about wanting to live at home or in the backyard. It is about trying to save money in order to build a house," he said.

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Dep Aird spoke on December 17 when the Minister came before the Dáil to seek permission to extend the existing planning exemption for the change of use of vacant commercial properties to residential until 31 December 2028. 

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The Laois TD welcomed this measure and the extension of the exemption for agricultural structures.