Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In a note to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage in September, the Department of Finance cited analysis on vacant dwellings by GeoDirectory. In its quarter 2 report for 2021, GeoDirectory found that more than 92,000 homes, or 4.5% of the housing stock, lay vacant in June this year. Recent research suggests we have the tenth highest vacancy rate in the world. It is a national scandal. Why has the Government not introduced a vacant property tax in each of the past five years? Will the Minister commit to doing so as soon as possible? I know he has said he will give us further details in the future but we need this as soon as possible.

I also draw the Minister's attention to recent stories in the Business Post, which found the Minister and the Department massaged the facts regarding rates of vacancy to undermine the proposition of a vacant homes tax. Most recently, it was reported that briefing notes provided to the Minister for Finance cherry-picked data relating to vacancy rates, omitting documented evidence of high residential vacancy rates. That is completely unacceptable. Does the Minister agree? Will he commit to expediting the introduction of a vacant homes tax as soon as possible?

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