Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I would like to raise the absolute scandal of 300 units lying empty in the middle of Dublin city, including the city centre, at Clancy Quay and Capital Dock. The week before last, the Business Postcarried a really important article on the Clancy Quay and Capital Dock developments. At Clancy Quay, four fifths of the apartments are empty. At Capital Dock, half are empty. We need to have a serious discussion about a vacant unit levy. In the middle of a housing crisis and a pandemic, it is a disgrace that large institutional investors are able to influence supply to the housing market to keep up their unaffordable, unsustainable rents. In The Irish Timesrecently, one-bedroom apartments were advertised at Clancy Quay for €1,900 per month. It was €2,200 per month for a two-bedroom apartment and €2,700 per month for a three-bedroom apartment.

Other countries have already acted on this issue. Barcelona has moved against the short-term letting of empty holiday homes. Apartments that have been vacant for two years can be purchased compulsorily at half the market rate and large fines can be issued. What is tying the hands of councils in Ireland is our restrictive and cautious approach to housing because of our conservative interpretations of the Constitution. If there are legal impediments to moving against landlords who are controlling the supply of housing to the market, it is time to act on the programme for Government commitment to hold a referendum on the question of housing. We need to balance the rights of tenants and property owners. In a deep housing crisis that has been ongoing for many years, hundreds of homes are lying empty in our capital city. That is not good enough. It is time to take action in respect of a tax on empty houses.