Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Thank you, Chairman. I thank the Minister and her officials for coming in. This is complicated land law legislation. The purpose derives from the fact that we want to ensure fee simple holders cannot avoid the compulsory sale of the fee simple, which was the effect of the Supreme Court decision.

In the original draft there were various references to the original buildings and the effects of alterations or extensions. In the draft originally discussed by the Dáil on Second Stage we referred to an extension that was not less than 50% of the property. This was a technical method of trying to assess whether there was any significant alteration. Is the Minister satisfied that the changes she has put in will still enable individuals, for example, property tenants in Carrickmacross, to apply for the purchase of the fee simple and to be in a more beneficial position than would otherwise be the case because of the Supreme Court decision?