Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What is clear as we see the detail of the measure and the documents that followed the publication of the Finance Bill is that the levy will have an impact. The impact is very clear; it is negative. It will be negative for those struggling to rebuild their homes in Donegal and right down the coast. It will be negative for the victims of the mica scandal. It will also be negative in respect of the viability of housing projects, as the Construction Industry Federation and Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland warned the Government. It is time to go back to the drawing board. As a result of construction costs rising, the viability of certain projects is already at risk. We know the price of concrete has already risen by 37% in the past year alone and housing projects are under threat. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland made it clear that the cost of a semi-detached house will increase by €1,200 under the Minister's measure. This will be passed on to customers. At a time when we should be trying to drive down house prices, why does the Minister believe increasing the cost of a house by €1,200 is the appropriate measure?

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