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

I am glad to put on the record that I have been providing accommodation to families and others for many years, throughout all my life. It is a great source of amazement to me is that many of the people proposing this Bill are serial objectors in their own constituencies. They object to houses because of the height or the density or because they are afraid. A percentage of these houses will go to social and affordable housing, but they are not happy with that. They simply do not want to see the houses being built in their constituencies. That must be recorded.

I was asked to give an important message for a person. He gave me his facts and figures and asked me to tell this story on his behalf to the geniuses who are proposing this Bill. I will be exact about the information he gave me. He is renting out a property for €1,000 per month. He pays €560 in tax which leaves him with €440. His mortgage is €1,200 per month which leaves a shortfall of €760. He is working in a factory in Killarney town and is trying to make up that balance. He also has to maintain the property along with paying the mortgage. He has seven years left on that mortgage. He told me to tell his story to the geniuses who are proposing this Bill and then tell them what he is thinking of doing. He is thinking of joining all the others and putting his property up for sale and paying off the bank what he owes. Rather than being stuck paying for another seven years, he will pay the bank off in one go. He will not get much out of it but whatever he has he will walk away and allow that house to go into the private market again. It will be one house less on the rental market, thanks to the geniuses proposing this type of nonsense.

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