Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

They are not agreed. Tomorrow evening, a finance Bill that, on the face of it, deals with Covid provisions will be considered in the House. The Government has tabled an amendment to the legislation to insert a section 15. The explicit intent of the amendment is to exempt investment funds from a stamp duty surcharge when they bulk-buy homes to lease back to the State. This action is despicable. It is clear that the Taoiseach has no intention of putting manners on these big investment funds. It is lost on nobody that whereas the Government affords tax breaks to these investment funds, it is giving damn-all to renters.

In fact, many would say that if you were a cuckoo, a vulture or even a seagull in the city of Dublin, you would have a better chance than if you were a young person, a worker or a struggling family looking to put a roof over your head. The Government has put up the white flag of surrender over Dublin city to these funds. The Government is a disgrace. What is worse is that it is proposing one hour-----

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