Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am against this increase. If the Government is going to take €376 million it has to come from somewhere but I am afraid this may hurt farmers buying land. We need to get clarity on that because differing stories are coming out. Will it hurt small builders who are buying land to build commercial premises? It could be the difference in them not going ahead. Likewise, will it adversely affect transfers from farmers to sons?

The Minister has suggested that people will incur a surcharge or a fine for not building on land. If they do not build, who will decide that person A or person B should build? How will that decision be reached?

In many cases in our county land has been zoned for housing but the landowners had no notion of using the land for building at any time. It then cost them when transferring to their sons. There are many issues here that need to be resolved. I am all for zoning and I do not think there should be any restrictions. If a local authority decides only to allow building on one side of a town, it gives a monopoly to the developer on that side of the town and he can charge what he likes. There should be no restrictions on zoning land because the market should decide where houses should be built and how many should be built.

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