Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this Finance Bill. In the limited time I have, I will deal with one or two items. I welcome the broad thrust of the measures that have been put in place to ensure people can deal with their energy costs. I welcome the living city initiative from the Minister for Finance. It is hugely important to us in Limerick. The Minister has agreed to ensure security for the scheme and it is now extended up to December 2027. It was due to finish this year. That is five years of certainty for the scheme. The write-off can now be over seven years rather than ten and the relief can be carried forward from year to year. That is hugely important, along with the Croí Cónaithe scheme, which will have a huge benefit for the rejuvenation of Limerick city.

I also welcome the measures around pre-letting expenses for landlords. I just want to put that in context. I also welcome the certainty for tenants. Some 86% of all our landlords have one or two properties. They are leaving the sector and we have to ask why that is. We need them to stay in the sector. I hope the Government will look at this in the round and give serious consideration to what can be done to ensure these small landlords stay in the sector. They are part of the system. As I have said many times, there are rogue landlords and rogue tenants but there are also decent landlords and decent tenants. What we want is a system where there is a balance. I ask the Government to look at this in the round and to find out why small landlords are leaving the sector so we can give security to both the tenant and the landlord.

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