After Barracksfield Fallout, Cabinet To Consider €415k Kildare Home Loan Limit - Up From €360K

Wednesday, 18 February 2026 16:41

By Martin Osborne - Head Of News

Housing Minister James Browne speaking with Kfm's Martin Osborne

The review is particularly significant locally as many families were excluded from buying homes at Barracksfield West in Naas.

Cabinet is due to consider plans that could raise the ceiling on the Local Authority Home Loan scheme - a move that may finally ease pressure on buyers in Kildare who have been locked out of so-called affordable homes.

Housing Minister James Browne is seeking approval to increase the maximum property value eligible under the scheme in Kildare from €360,000 to €415,000 - a jump of €55,000.

The review is particularly significant locally as many families were excluded from buying homes at Barracksfield West in Naas.

The first phase of properties exceeded the loan limit - meaning buyers who otherwise qualified could not proceed.

Kfm News visited the development when it launched and raised the issue facing locals with Housing minister James Browne.

Under current rules, once a home price hits €360,000, applicants cannot bridge the gap with their own savings, effectively blocking access to the scheme.

That has fuelled frustration in Naas, where councillors say the policy is out of step with market reality.

Independent Ireland councillor Bill Clear questioned why problems previously seen at Lattin Place on the Rathasker Road were repeated at Barracksfield West, describing the situation facing local buyers as “a scandal”.

Responsibility for pricing at Barracksfield West had been attributed to Kildare County Council and the Land Development Agency, while the Department of Housing has pointed back to the local authority.

If approved by Cabinet, the higher €415,000 threshold would represent the first major adjustment to the scheme since 2023.