Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State will be aware that the CSO residential property price index report for October was published today. It shows that house prices across the State have risen by 13.5% annually. Families cannot afford to buy homes. As I have already told the House this week, there are families in Tipperary whose landlords have given them notice. They are looking to a rental market that is either non-existent or overpriced. The Minister of State will be well aware of the price of this starvation of the overall residential property of the market that has resulted from the advantages that continue to be given to these trusts and funds. In many areas of the country, these are contributing to the shortage of housing available because many are being sat upon with a view to increasing profits in the future, putting them further out of the reach of families. This is what we know about; what about the areas we do not know about? Can the Minister of State honestly say that the tax advantages continuing to be enjoyed by these funds are helping Irish families to get a roof over their heads? The Minister of State’s office, as well as mine, is getting those requests every week.

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