Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

"A home is a home, whether it is an apartment or a house," said Ciarán Cuffe MEP of the Green Party. The only pity is that the Green Party says that but does not vote along the line that would follow from that. It is hot air. The Green Party has a chance to show us tonight that it can vote according to what was said. We will keep a close eye on that. What a concession the Taoiseach has made to the vulture funds by excluding apartments entirely from the legislation. That is where the big money is. Some €7 billion of institutional capital chases the purchase of apartments. In 2017, 40% of all new apartments in the State were bought up by these funds. Are the first-time buyers, the young people who want to get into the market and buy an apartment as a home for themselves and their family, not being squeezed out of the market by the vultures? Why does the Taoiseach let the vultures off the hook so completely by excluding the apartment sector entirely from this? I put it to the Taoiseach that he is giving the vultures a huge let-off.

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