Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left) | Oireachtas source

I accept the Minister's bona fides on this issue and I fully accept he has, and will, instruct his officials to deal with the situation, but I must press the amendment from the point of view that I heard this response months ago. Again, I do not mean this in a derogatory way. I was told in answer to a recent parliamentary question on the issue that it had to be dealt with through legislation. Originally I sought for the problems to be dealt with by changing the statutory instrument which was implemented to give effect to the exemption. I was told this could not be done and it had to be done by way of legislation. I do not think the amendment I have drafted is perfect, but it is better than what is there at present.

It means that a house, which has considerable damage and is in an area where it has either been accepted by the board or where we know pyrite is in existence, will be covered by the exemption. That will practically cover every relevant home owner.

I note the Minister did not respond to the point Deputy Wallace made. In answer to the important issue the Deputy raised, I believe the Minister of State in essence said that somebody whose house had pyrite but only a damage condition rating of one should not get the property tax exemption. That is a complete and utter reversal of what Government backbenchers told their constituents. Deputy Wallace is quite correct in pointing out it does not matter what level of pyrite a house has. Any house with pyrite is unsaleable. The idea that a tax would be levied on the owner of such a house is an absolute insult to families who in most cases are in the commuter belt and paying for overpriced properties that they bought at the height of the boom. In many cases they are in negative equity. In some cases their family circumstances are such that they would like to move on and they are basically shackled to that redundant property. It is incredible that they would be charged a tax on that property.

I believe the Minister wants to sort it out, but it is not that hard. All he needs to do is sit down with the Pyrite Resolution Board. A pyrite survey was done of where it exists throughout the country. The Minister could easily do it and protect the taxpayer. Failure to do so would indicate that the exemption was a scam in the first place. The Government does not really want people to be able to avail of it. It was just a fig leaf to pretend it was giving something to those afflicted home owners.

I will press the amendment given the way the Government behaves on these issues. I expect it to be lost, but it is important to lay down a marker. If that is the case, I appeal to the Minister to pursue the avenues he said he would to get justice on this issue for the people who deserve it.

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