Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

We have to realise that, when a house is vacant, it starts to smell, it gets damp and different things happen to it even after 12 months of being idle. One could at least have the windows open but vacancy leads to dereliction. We need to start there. I would be glad of the support to talk to the Government because I seem to be getting nowhere with it. I am at this for the last two or three years. I went through all the houses on a certain road. I know each and every one of the people and it is not worth their while for what they would get. The Government is the biggest beneficiary of renting a property. Well, maybe that is not the case with those owners that have 20 or 30 houses, given that they are on the lower rate of tax. I do not know what they are on, but they come under corporation tax or whatever rules. No, I am referring to the person with one or two houses. They are paying tax at 50%, so it is not worth their while.