Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Section 3 defines the relevant categories of residential property. It was announced in the budget that when the property tax comes into effect in July 2013 it will replace the household charge. However, I cannot find a reference to the non-principal private residence charge. Perhaps the Minister will address that issue in the finance Bill. Why would he hit people on the double by not removing the non-principal private residence charge until 2014? I am not referring to institutional investors or landlords with 200 or 300 properties but to the tens of thousands of people who bought modest apartments as an investment in their pensions. I will leave the discussion of buy-to-let mortgages to a different day. When the property tax is introduced in July 2014 why will the owner of a rented property be made to pay the property tax in addition to the ¤200 non-principal private residence charge?