Govt minister defends lower number of households exempt from tax

A Cabinet Minister has defended the slashing of the number of ghost estates in the country where homeowners will not have to pay the property tax.

It has been announced that just over 5,000 properties in 421 estates will not have to pay the tax.

More than 43,000 homes were exempt from last year's household charge, and a report last summer found some 1,100 estates were unfinished.

However, Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte has told the Dáil that report is out of date as estates have been finished since it was published.

He said: "In terms of criteria that warrant exemption, they have been gone through with a fine tooth comb.

"I regard what the Department of Environment has published as being fair."