Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

That was a great rehearsed reply but it did not answer my question. The Construction Industry Federation representatives came crying into their soup before the Committee on Housing and Homelessness and argued that 36% of the cost of a house was going on taxes. Thus, they argued that the Government should reduce VAT and taxes on builders. However, 36% is not the correct figure. It is 16% according to chartered surveyors. This demonstrates the need for independent research. In the programme for Government, there is a huge array of tax reductions for developers and there is no evidence that it will lead to housing being cheaper. In fact, quite the opposite is the case. All the evidence suggests that previous tax incentives were simply pocketed by developers and not passed on to unfortunate buyers. There is also a hoarding of land taking place while owners wait for house prices to increase. The developers are on strike and should not be rewarded with a range of tax cuts as indicated in the programme for Government.

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