Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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In response to Deputy Tóibín's first question, I accept that the issue of vacant homes is one we have to consider far more actively now in light of the great housing challenges we have and our need to provide homes for more people. It is important to understand the scale of this issue and why this vacancy is occurring in the first place. This is why the local property tax return is a very important development. Deputy Tóibín and I have had debates on this and on the scale of vacancy and why it is occurring, but until today we have not had information collected through paying a tax. I have accepted in debates I have had on this issue that this was an omission on which we needed to be able to make progress, and we will do that. When that information becomes available to me through the Revenue Commissioners, I will evaluate it very quickly to see whether it can be of use to us in the design of future policy. That is why the change we will make now in the information portal of the local property tax is an important development.

Regarding Deputy Tóibín's second point about the equalisation fund, I emphasise again that the fund is not being deleted. In fact, it will be in place for the forthcoming year. It will operate as normal and as it has done in the past under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The equalisation fund and issues related to it are not in the local property tax Bill. If they were, I would have said it to the Deputy. It will take us a year to make this change. There is the issue of funding being raised within a particular area and in particular local authorities and that being transmitted and shared to other parts of the country that need that funding and will need it in the future. That issue had to be addressed in the context of the future of local property tax.

While I cannot address it in the Bill, I am trying to give a policy direction in relation to it and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and I are committed to implementing it.