Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to mention the vacant sites tax. I think Senator McDowell will acknowledge just as happily as I will that he and I rarely agree on issues but, my God, this tax is a farce and a fig leaf. Fundamentally, Fine Gael will never tax vacant houses and we can see that now from this proposal. It is so easy to elude having to pay any tax under this measure. It is frankly pointless. Why can Fine Gael not acknowledge that one of the key solutions to the housing crisis is to tackle the issue of vacant homes?