Danny Healy-Rae: Cut taxes and free up vacant rural houses
Danny Healy-Rae spoke about housing, focusing on vacant properties, tax disincentives for small landlords, RTB powers, rural planning refusals and Irish Water funding. He urged reduced taxes on landlords, use of vacant homes, extension of first-time buyer supports to second-hand homes, and clearer rural planning access.
Healy-Rae said vacant houses are widespread "all around the countryside, all around Kerrydada, inside in streets and villages and towns, out the country" and criticised current tax settings. He argued that high effective taxes on people with another income discourage them from letting empty houses - citing charges of "50 or 52% tax" that make renting out properties uneconomic.
Healy-Rae criticised the Residential Tenancies Board's powers, saying the RTB is seen as siding with tenants and that landlords fear they cannot regain possession when they want a house back. He said this fear further reduces the willingness of owners to rent out vacant homes.
Healy-Rae proposed extending first-time buyer supports to second-hand and vacant houses so first-time buyers could buy existing homes. He questioned why the grant was limited to new builds when second-hand properties could bring vacant stock back into use.
Healy-Rae raised rural planning problems, saying people are being denied planning in rural areas while farmers' sons and daughters obtain sites, which he labelled discriminatory in some cases. He also complained that established accesses onto national roads have been refused planning, even where there is clear sight and an existing lane.
Healy-Rae warned that Irish Water cannot upgrade treatment plants and deliver necessary infrastructure without funding, and said the current lack of investment limits housing delivery. He also said there have been no affordable houses at Harlan Kerry in the last government's term and called for concrete government action to release vacant homes and increase building.
Healy-Rae repeated that discussion must be followed by deeds, urging the minister to reduce taxes on small landlords, review RTB rules, extend buyer supports to used homes and secure funding for infrastructure. He closed by saying there has been enough talk and the government needs to act.
Vacant properties and tax disincentives
Healy-Rae said vacant houses are widespread "all around the countryside, all around Kerrydada, inside in streets and villages and towns, out the country" and criticised current tax settings. He argued that high effective taxes on people with another income discourage them from letting empty houses - citing charges of "50 or 52% tax" that make renting out properties uneconomic.
RTB powers and landlord fears
Healy-Rae criticised the Residential Tenancies Board's powers, saying the RTB is seen as siding with tenants and that landlords fear they cannot regain possession when they want a house back. He said this fear further reduces the willingness of owners to rent out vacant homes.
First-time buyer grant and second-hand homes
Healy-Rae proposed extending first-time buyer supports to second-hand and vacant houses so first-time buyers could buy existing homes. He questioned why the grant was limited to new builds when second-hand properties could bring vacant stock back into use.
Rural planning refusals and access to national roads
Healy-Rae raised rural planning problems, saying people are being denied planning in rural areas while farmers' sons and daughters obtain sites, which he labelled discriminatory in some cases. He also complained that established accesses onto national roads have been refused planning, even where there is clear sight and an existing lane.
Irish Water funding and housing supply
Healy-Rae warned that Irish Water cannot upgrade treatment plants and deliver necessary infrastructure without funding, and said the current lack of investment limits housing delivery. He also said there have been no affordable houses at Harlan Kerry in the last government's term and called for concrete government action to release vacant homes and increase building.
Key demands and call for action
Healy-Rae repeated that discussion must be followed by deeds, urging the minister to reduce taxes on small landlords, review RTB rules, extend buyer supports to used homes and secure funding for infrastructure. He closed by saying there has been enough talk and the government needs to act.
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Transcript
I'm glad to get the opportunity to talk about housing here again tonight and I have to say since I came up here in 2016 we have been at it constantly. Every man and woman that has sat inside this doll has been talking about housing and little has changed Minister. I want to first talk about vacant properties. I have spoken about it here last year, the year before, I spoke about it recently and the story is still the same. There's vacant houses and properties all around the countryside, all around Kerrydada, inside in streets and villages and towns, out the country, they're everywhere and there's nothing being done. I'm asking for God's sake reduce the tax so that people that are on another income and have a house to rent that they won't have to pay a 50% tax because it's not worth their void renting out the house if they're being charged 50 or 52% tax. He do know that the houses are getting no barber copper at all of tax from an empty house. Surely to God if he took a lesser amount that he could manage that. And you see, the other thing, Dennis, when people want, if people are afraid to rent out their houses, because if they do, they're afraid they can't get them back when they want them. And you see, the RTB have too much powers and they're insisting that, you know, they're on the tenant's side and I don't mind the crowd that are being fair, but they're not being fair at the present time. And I know that tenants are striving hard to get houses and want to stay in houses, but you have to be fair if someone wants their house back, but they're afraid they won't rent out the house and that's it. And we have to, and look, there's another thing. You're talking there about the first-time buyer's grant for a new house. Why don't they extend that to the vacant houses, to the second-hand houses? They're first-time buyers. Why don't they extend it to allow them to buy second-hand houses? And you see, planning in rural areas. We've been told here on site several, several times, there's people being denied planning in rural areas because this thing have been generated pressure. And you see, farmers' sons and daughters right next door to them can get it. This is discrimination. I'm not saying that the farmers' sons, I fought long and hard for that. They have to get it. But the people next door to them that are living and lived all their lives next door to them and have a couple of acres. I can get a site from my next door neighbour. There should be allowed planning permission. A planning regulator up here decided that. And then we have the thing where the national roads, no one, I don't know how many times I've heard this race, people can get access onto a national road, get planning permission to get access onto a national road. Even though it's an established access. And even though that is a mile of a straight in Baloch where people could come out onto the road in both sides and have been denied planning permission there. There have been no affordable houses at Harlan Kerry in the reign of the last government. And if you think that Irish Water can build all the treatment plants and bring the water up to scratch without getting funding, that won't happen, Minister. They have no funding stream. And if we're realistic and honest about it, they'll have to get funding for the building. Inward migration, yes, the population is doubling and tribbling, and we're not matching with the houses being built. And we're not doing enough to release the vacant houses and ensure that they come on stream. We need to do more, Minister. We've enough talked, and the government needs to act down. Please. Thank you, Deputy. Thank you.