Government will change tax measures to keep landlords in rental market, says Varadkar
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil the Government had and would introduce solutions to help people, including increasing social housing and 'tax changes to encourage more landlords to stay in the market and new ones to come in'. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has confirmed to the Dáil that the Government will change tax measures for landlords to entice them to keep their properties in the rental market.
Mr Varadkar was speaking during Leaders’ Questions after the Government won a motion of confidence in itself by 86 to 67, with the support of some Independent TDs.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald called on TDs to support her party's legislation in the Dáil on Wednesday night, which seeks to extend the eviction ban until January 2024.
She described the Government's amendments to the bill as “deeply cynical” and “demonstrating the Government's disregard for the trauma facing people from Saturday on”, when the eviction ban lapses.
Ms McDonald said the Government had put “more energy” into “ducking this vote” and shows “the Government is scrambling all over the place".
“You’ve no plan that will make a lick of difference that will help those who are facing eviction,” Ms McDonald said.
Mr Varadkar said the Government did not believe extending the winter eviction ban until January 2024 was a solution and would just make homelessness “worse at a different point” in the future.
He told the Dáil the Government had and would introduce solutions to help people, including increasing social housing and “tax changes to encourage more landlords to stay in the market and new ones to come in" and was also funding homelessness prevention services.
He said Sinn Féin was attempting to “exploit” people’s fears and acknowledged people were experiencing “real anxiety". He said those facing notices to quit would be supported.
Ms McDonald said those who were facing homelessness expected her party to come into the Dáil and “amplify” their experience and expected it “to fight tooth and nail and not to give up” trying to change the Government’s mind on the matter. She said her appeal had fallen on deaf ears.
Mr Varadkar said “the only thing your ears are deaf to deputy are the answers” and called on Sinn Féin to support housing policies with the “monumental task of ending the homeless crisis".
Labour leader Ivana Bacik raised the “shocking” findings by an independent review group into allegations of bullying and sexual abuse in the Defence Forces.
She called on the Taoiseach to give a timeline on the establishment of the judge-led statutory inquiry.
In response, Mr Varadkar said the findings were “not historic” and it was clear attempts to change the issue of bullying, some of sexual nature, within the Defence Forces in the past failed.
“We see an organisation that's in critical and behavioural change,” he said.
He said the Government had agreed there would be a judge-led inquiry and was “keen to have it up and running as soon as possible". He said it was important that “we get it right” and there would be engagement with the Women of Honour.
