Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to get the time to raise this important issue with the Minister of State. This residential zoned land tax is having an adverse effect on farmers, especially dairy farmers, close to our towns in County Kerry, and I am sure it is happening all around the country. It is happening in places such as Killarney, Tralee, Listowel and Castleisland.

Many of these farmers have not slept since they got notification at the beginning of April that they were liable for this zoned land tax. Some of these farms are classified as strategic reserve, which means that existing residential, infill residential and proposed residential. All those categories should be dealt with first. Under strategic reserve you are not even entitled to get planning permission. You would have to do a material contravention and the council would have to agree to it before planning could be granted.

There is plenty of other land. For example, in Killarney alone, Kerry County Council owns land in Deer Park and public land is owned by the HSE in St. Finan's Hospital, which it got from Kerry County Council in the first place. It should go back to Kerry County Council to build social housing on. We have been advocating for that for years.

This residential zoned land tax was designed and brought in to deal with speculators and would-be developers in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and other cities, but sadly there are plenty of other places to build in or around Killarney without doing this terrible deed to people and making them pay this tax. Some of them have been told it could be up to €100,000 a year. Even if their places were worth €1 million, they will not own them after a few short years. They will be totally wiped out with this tax. It reminds me of a song that goes:

The rent and taxes were so high I could not them redeem

And that's the cruel reason why I left old Skibbereen.

Is the Government going to do that to these people who have given their lives to building up enterprises? Some of these have been farming for three generations. They supplied Killarney dairy before Kerry Co-op existed. There places have been built up to be environmentally friendly. They are producing the best milk and beef that could be expected in any part of the world. Will these active farmers be wiped out? I ask the Minister of State to go back to the Departments of Finance and Housing, Local Government and Heritage where this is coming from. It is wrong.

12 o’clock

There are several things the Government should do if there is a shortage of houses, but it should not force anything on farmers who are actively farming. A distinction or exemption has to be made for these active farmers.

I am glad to get the opportunity to raise this very serious matter. Some of these farmers have not slept. They have had tough times trying to survive in recent years, with Brexit and every other kind of problem that has hit them nationally. I appeal to the Minister of State.

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