Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also want to thank my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, for all of the work he does on housing. I was somewhat astounded over the past number of days to see the surprise expressed by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael about the tax avoidance measures enjoyed by the real estate investment trusts, REITs. It is absolutely mind-boggling. For heaven’s sake, they designed, sat down and worked them out. They either did not know what they were doing or they were persuaded of the merits by the vested interests that these investment vehicles were good for the nation. Either which way, they must own it and the consequences of throwing hard-working families under the property bus of the speculators that they have facilitated by their fiscal policies.

I raised this issue with the former Minister, Michael Noonan, in 2016 at, I believe, a social justice conference. He shifted about in the chair and nobody took any notice. My colleague, Deputy Doherty, continues to raise this issue. These investment firms do not pay capital gains tax, corporation tax or tax on their rent roll. Goodness me. We look then at homeowners in Mayo whose houses falling down with pyrite because the Government failed to protect them. They are told that they have to pay property tax. I know REITs pay property tax but we tax everybody else to the hilt.

The consequences of the housing policy which the Government parties must now own, means that there were only 47 properties to rent in Mayo on daft.ietoday. So many people within the county are excluded from the prospect of ever owning their own home. Others are not eligible. A couple with two children are not eligible to even get on the social housing waiting list if they earn any more than €27,500. We cannot depend on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to fix housing and to provide people with what is a right. We have to get off this pathway. That is why Sinn Féin's housing policy has to be delivered on and we have to have an opportunity to do that.

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