Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is a mathematical issue and this is not a matter of opinion. We are dealing with mathematical facts with respect to the 1.3 million households. There seems to be a mental block on the Government's side in this respect, which is a weakness. It is a mathematical fact there are at least 1.65 million households in the country. The Minister has argued that if a grant went out to every eligible household, the number in question is 1.3 million. Is the Minister telling us there are 365,000 houses that are either holiday homes or empty? There are clearly not that many.

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