Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's report on a vacant home tax should be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas and I do not see why it would not be. This morning, along with members of the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs, I visited a recently established family hub in Crumlin.I cannot help but wonder how many fewer hubs we would need if a vacant home tax was implemented? While the hubs are an improvement on bed and breakfast accommodation, they are not homes. It is bizarre that, having rejected an amendment tabled by Sinn Féin on Committee Stage in the Dáil, the Minister tabled a replica amendment on Report Stage. Presenting a report is to be welcomed.

A vacant home tax could be part of the solution, if implemented correctly. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin has produced a strategy which looks at this issue and makes many proposals. In summary, to maximise the return of vacant units, incentives are required by those who need assistance to return their properties to active use, as well as penalties for those who willfully leave properties empty. We should introduce a second home property tax exemption for owners who bring their homes back to active use. Local authorities should receive a new homes bonus equivalent to the annual second home property tax yield after the first two years, if houses are returned to active use. The funding could be added to local authorities's discretionary spend and it would cost the Exchequer an average of €6 million, making a total of €36 million during a seven year period. This cost could be offset against the current expenditure budget allocations to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and thus be revenue neutral. One could introduce a vacant home tax which would be applicable to properties which have been vacant for more than six months, as determined by the local authorities based on the high level of vacancies and housing need in their areas. Obviously, there would be exemptions. The issue is why are we only looking at the presentation of a report instead of implementing a tax this year, as a year will be wasted. I hope next year we will see results, not reports.