Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

I am glad to have the opportunity to talk about housing again tonight. Since I came up here in 2016, we have been talking about it constantly. Every man and woman who has sat here in the Dáil has talked about housing but little has changed.

I want to speak about vacant properties. I spoke about this last year, the year before and recently but the story is the same. There are vacant houses and properties all around the countryside. They are all around Kerry - on streets in villages and towns and in the countryside. They are everywhere but nothing is being done about them. I ask the Government to, for God's sake, reduce the tax so people who have another income and who have a house to rent will not have to pay a 50% tax because it is not worth their while renting the house out if they are being charged 50% or 52% tax. The houses are idle and the Government is getting not getting a bob or a copper of tax from an empty house. Surely to God if the Government took a lesser amount of tax that could be managed.

People are afraid to rent out their houses because if they do, they are afraid they cannot get their houses back when they want them. The RTB has too many powers and it is on the tenants' side. I do not mind if it is being fair but it is not being fair at present. I know tenants are striving to get houses and want to stay in houses but we have to be fair if someone wants their house back. People are afraid so they will not rent out their houses and that is it.

Why not extend the first-time buyers grant to vacant or second-hand houses? They are first-time buyers so why not extend the grant to allow them to buy second-hand houses?

As for planning in rural areas, we have been told here several times about people being denied planning in rural areas because of urban-generated pressure, and yet the farmer's sons and daughters living right next door to them can get it. This is discrimination. I am not saying the farmer's son should not get planning permission - I fought long and hard for that - but the people who have lived next door to them all their lives, have a couple of acres or can get a site from a next door neighbour should be allowed to get planning permission. The Planning Regulator decided that.

I do not know how many times I have heard this but people cannot get planning permission to get access on to a national road even though it is established access. There is a straight mile in Ballagh where people could come out onto both sides the road but they are being denied planning permission there. There were no affordable houses at all in Kerry during the reign of the previous Government. If we think Irish Water can build all the treatment plants and bring water up to scratch without getting funding, it will not happen. Irish Water has no funding stream and if we are being realistic and honest about, it will have to get funding to build.

Yes, the population is doubling or trebling due to inward migration but we are not matching this with houses being built. We are not doing enough to release vacant houses and ensure they come onstream.

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