James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support Deputy Donnelly's amendment.

As in Wicklow, we in Kildare North are no strangers to accidental landlords and multiple starter homes in negative equity which remain so. The phenomenon of accidental landlords is well understood right around the commuter belt and elsewhere.

As Deputy Donnelly stated, unfortunately these individuals are taxed at the marginal rate. I suppose the key inequality is that - Deputy Donnelly alluded to the vulture funds - any kind of commercial entity or corporate structure, for instance, a local commercial interest, leasing the same house as the unfortunate young couple or individual who has ended up as an accidental landlord avails of far greater reliefs and a far more attractive tax rate and, indeed, draws down far more allowances than the personal taxation levied on the poor unfortunate accidental landlord.

I understood there were moves afoot to include the likes of deduction of local property tax, LPT, to include additional allowances and some sort of gesture towards the time involved in leasing a property, even if not the entire cost. Some may choose to manage the lease themselves rather than incur the additional expense of employing property agents. I understood there was some movement towards that but I am not sure whether that has been reflected in the Bill to date.

I concur with Deputy Donnelly. I support the amendment to put the onus back on the Department to find a solution to this because the issue is so acute for so many families.

See this speech in context