Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 6, to delete line 34.

The thinking behind the amendment is that the provision in this respect should not be so confined The Minister of State is right about the assets in our towns and city centres. If we are to develop our facilities in towns and villages, and perhaps take some of the pressure off in terms of urban-generated housing in the countryside, they have to be attractive places to live. This provision in the subsection is limited in that it confines the site to areas where there is a housing need.

Amendment No. 5 removes the requirement for the site to consist of regeneration land or to have an adverse effect on the amenities or character of an area in order to be eligible for a levy. There may well be other circumstances such as the under-use of buildings that are lying vacant. There could be several other scenarios in which this could be meaningfully applied and where the argument could equally be made in regard to bringing more vibrant uses to a town, village or city. The intention of the amendments is to widen out the measure so that it is not so limited.