Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Whatever the cost of the land, whether that is market value or market value plus tax, it will find its way into the all-in development cost for the developer. There are arguments for and against that. I am not arguing against it. If we take development contributions and water connections, for example, the unit cost can be between €9,000 and €25,000, approximately, depending on the local authority. The announcement by the Government last week referred to an average of €12,560 or €12,650. Will the Department similarly attempt to understand in the context of the all-in development costs - not just the construction costs but the land and the land value levy - what the potential cost is? A developer who acquires land and gets planning permission after December 2024 will add in all the development cost, including the levy liability, into the eventual purchase price. I presume there has been an attempt to calculate what that could look like. Whether it is passed on is a separate matter but, at a time when house prices are going up, we do not want to add to those costs. In general, betterment taxes and development levies are ultimately paid by the purchaser or renter.