‘You’d worry about your own future,’ says mum

“IT’S an awful ask,” said mother-of-four Peggy Kearney (69), from Ahane, Co Kerry, of the Taoiseach’s suggestion that the ‘bank of mum and dad’ should help stump up for a deposit on a house for their children.

She lives a modest life on the State pension with her husband Thomas Kearney (75) in a council house that was built on her parent’s land.

Her youngest child lived with her into his twenties, which she said caused her some financial hardship, but now all four of her children are married and settled with homes of her own.

“I wouldn’t be able to do it and I think a lot of parents wouldn’t be able to do it,” she said of Leo Varadkar’s suggestion that parents help fund deposits for their children.

“Unless you’re very rich I don’t know how anyone could do it.

“For a deposit you’d be looking at €30,000 at least and that’s an awful lot of money,” she said.

“You’d be worried about your own future – if I have to go into a home, you’d need all the money you have. Even €100,000 doesn’t seem to go far,” said Peggy, adding that many of her generation are already under great strain looking after their grandchildren.

“Some of the things he comes out with – I think he’s totally out of touch,” she said of the Taoiseach.

“He’s an only son with wealthy parents so he’s not going to worry,” said Peggy.