Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has addressed the area where the scheme works to give people pyrite exemptions but he has not addressed the question, which is what does he propose to do to improve the areas where the exemption cannot be gained even though the homeowner's property is pyrite affected. The Minister appears to be suggesting in his reply that people could more or less submit a zero valuation and that would be accepted. That is not accepted by Revenue. The terms of the exemption are that a property must have a damage condition rating of 2, or 1 with progression, which means that homeowners with properties affected by pyrite and a damage condition rating of 1, and clearly with pyrite, are not gaining an exemption from the property tax. We have a ridiculous scenario whereby homeowners who suffered in homes affected by pyrite that were later remediated and sold on in perfect condition were unable to get an exemption from property tax for the years during which they lived in the pyrite affected property while the people who purchase the property can get an exemption for a house that is non-affected by pyrite. There are huge problems in terms of application of the exemption.

What does the Minister propose to do for the people who are not currently captured in the scheme even though their properties are valueless and why is there is a ceiling on the exemption? Why is the exemption limited to six or eight years? If a property cannot be certified or remediated and the house is valueless then the homeowner should get an exemption.

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