Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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83. To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to a charity's (details supplied) 2018 pre-budget submission proposal to link tax incentives for landlords to conditionality such as greater as security of tenure, longer tenancy agreements and higher quality of accommodation; if he has investigated same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31134/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has received the charity’s pre-budget submission, which includes, as one of six housing-related recommendations, a proposal to link tax incentives for landlords to conditions such as greater security of tenure, longer tenancy agreements and higher quality of accommodation. This proposal will be considered as part of my deliberations for Budget 2018.

As the Deputy may be aware, a working group was established in early 2017 to examine and report on the tax treatment of landlords (or rental accommodation providers) and to put forward options, where appropriate, for amendments to such treatment. This working group was established as part of the ‘Strategy for the Rental Sector’ which was published by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in December 2016. The working group is chaired by the Department of Finance and its membership consists of officials from the Department of Finance; the Revenue Commissioners; the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government; and the Residential Tenancies Board. As part of the group’s work, a public consultation lasting for four weeks was conducted from March to April 2017 which received almost 70 written submissions from a wide range of interested parties, including individual landlords, representative bodies and charitable organisations.

The report of the working group is due to be presented to me by the end of July 2017, to allow for consideration of any of the options put forward, as part of my deliberations for Budget 2018.

The Deputy may also be aware that in order to improve the stability of housing supply to tenants in receipt of social housing supports a new relief was introduced in Finance Act 2015. The relief allows a full 100% mortgage interest deduction against rental income (increased from 75% in 2016 and from 80% in 2017) where a landlord undertakes, for a period of at least three years, to provide accommodation to such tenants and registers such undertakings with the Residential Tenancies Board within certain time limits. Further information on this relief is available in section 97 of the Revenue Commissioners – Notes for Guidance – Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 – Finance Act 2015 Edition – Part 4 Principal Provisions Relating to the Schedule D charge, which is available at: