Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed that this is the Government's position. As for the Minister of State's comments about letting the scheme operate for a year, I argue the same thing, which is to let the scheme operate for a year. I note the scheme has never operated and yet there have been substantial changes to it, some of which were for the better. Moreover, some of these did not originate from the Government but from Europe. When the scheme originally was envisaged, I spoke on how no limit was placed on the benefit people could accrue from it, which was a flawed approach. A limit has been placed on it now and whether it is appropriate, too low or too high is questionable. I am not sure and while one must see the scheme in operation, at least some type of limit is in place. However, as the Minister of State has acknowledged, there was a link between the living part and the commercialisation part for the pre-1915 houses. I will set out my fears in this regard. This scheme originally was about enticing people back into living in Georgian houses and then into relevant houses, that is, two-story pre-1915 buildings. I refer to the way in which one would entice people into them and the argument put forward was these Georgian houses and relevant houses are so old - some of them have conservation orders and so on - that it would cost a lot of money to refurbish them. Consequently, the idea was that people would be allowed to develop the commercial part on the ground floor and basement, they could be rented out so on and one would have the living quarters upstairs. The Minister has pointed out that there may be pre-1915 buildings that are not suitable to having living quarters and that is completely fine and is a completely relevant point. I argue that the way to deal with this is not through basically removing the link for all pre-1915 properties but by dealing with that situation by providing that paragraph (c) of section 372AAC of the Principal Act would not apply to those properties in which conversion of the upper stories to living quarters would be deemed not possible. Areas like this can be examined and can be dealt with. I am disappointed that the Minister has considered this issue from that point of view. Members have argued this issue to death on both Committee and Report Stages and I do not believe we will see eye to eye on this issue.

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