Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I made those decisions motivated by how we can put in place policies that deal with the issue that needed to be dealt with, which was the bulk purchase of family houses, while getting the balance right also allowing more apartments to be built in the future. I have information on the kinds of purchases, including forward purchases, that took place in recent years. However, on the question the Deputy asked regarding forward purchases that are currently being completed or are under way, that information is not available to me. This does not undermine the policy rationale for what I did. The reason I excluded those forward purchases is that they will enable more apartments to be built and made available to rent and more homes to be made available to people in the future. As the Deputy will be aware, taxation in regard to these investment funds occurs when income is returned to the investor who invests in the funds.

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