Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

An issue about which I am concerned and have flagged at the last two budgets is the attitude to the property sector, particularly real estate investment trusts, REITs. These are contributing to what is now an increasing speculation and pumping up of the property area. Mr. Talbot made a distinction between incentivising active as against passive investment. REITs are a classic example of incentivising passive activity. Big international investors with lots of cash are buying up what was initially cheap property and making a killing while driving up rents and property prices and creating a new bubble while we still have a massive housing crisis. I believe we should get rid of REITs and any measures that incentivise property market speculation. What are the veiws of the delegations on that?