Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Like the previous speakers, I believe this is a nice cosy deal for the vulture funds and cuckoo funds. It allows them to come in and purchase houses using the stamp duty break. It will not help the ordinary people on the housing list, some of whom have been on it for up to a decade.

Unfortunately, this is certainly not going to help matters. In the past number of months, we have seen the scandalous situation whereby these funds were buying up houses all over the cities, with ordinary people left unable to get anywhere near the amounts of money these funds were able to pay. These funds will now be receiving tax breaks and the ordinary person will be caught in a difficult situation.

As Deputy Danny Healy-Rae said, we need to get back to basics. Unfortunately, on housing, we moved away from basics a hell of a long time ago. We have people from other countries buying properties here and we are racing around trying to buy them back off them. It is a right vicious circle. The Government is long enough in office to have resolved this issue. Young couples and ordinary people trying to start off in life are finding it extremely difficult. It is scandalous and there is a crisis here in Dublin, in Cork and throughout my constituency in west Cork. My phone has been hopping every day with calls from people desperate to get homes in Kinsale, Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Bantry.

This amendment will not help in any way, shape or form. It will make matters much worse for those who are struggling. As has been said, we need to get back to basics and the serviced sites that were sold in rural communities. Young people and families used to come in and build great towns and villages but that is not heard of any more. It is a different situation now. I will certainly not be supporting this amendment.

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