Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am trying to be constructive and positive. I welcome the scheme but there is a difference between vacant houses and derelict houses. The Government has introduced a vacant house scheme but there are a lot of derelict houses across the country. They do not accrue local property tax at the moment. Bringing in a vacant property tax is not going to be a stick to force those houses onto the market. We need those houses on the market because the Government is incentivising people to buy them. We need those houses done up for the sake of the communities but most of all for those who are looking to buy houses. Will there be a measure to get those derelict houses onto the market? The vacant house tax announced yesterday will have no impact whatsoever. The Government can treble or multiply by ten the local property tax but zero by ten is still zero.

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