Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 3:

In page 4, after line 44, to insert the following:

"(i) an uninhabitable rural house.".

This is an addition to the meaning of residential property in section 2. In rural Ireland one often sees houses that have become vacant, whether cottages or old farm dwellings. We would not like to see families being levied for this charge on a house that is uninhabitable. If it is habitable there is the potential for it to generate income through letting or sub-letting. The house may not be totally derelict because its superstructure, the roof and walls, might be in good condition but it might be uninhabitable because there may not be services and it might require a significant amount of work before becoming habitable again.

Despite what Senator Norris says there are people in rural areas who may have small land-holdings but do not have large sums of money to spare to pay this charge on what might be an old farm cottage or dwelling. That is the context of the amendment which we ask the Minister to consider. I do not think it is the intention of the Bill to levy charges in those areas. It is aimed at investment properties held by landlords up and down the country, mainly in urban but also in rural areas. I am interested to hear the Minister's views on an uninhabitable rural house.