Budget will see 'effective and meaningful' measures for landlords, says O'Brien

Housing Minister Daaragh O'Brien said that it was too early to speculate about October's Budget after reports that Fine Gael would seek a €1,000 tax cut for middle-income earners. Picture: Alan Hamilton

This year's Budget will see "effective and meaningful" measures for landlords, the Housing Minister says.

Speaking at an event in his constituency, Darragh O'Brien said that Fianna Fáil will look for measures to ensure that landlords remain in the rental market.

He said that he and Finance Minister Michael McGrath had "clearly signalled" their intention to make moves that would attract and retain landlords and said that

“We are committed to effective and meaningful measures in the upcoming Budget in that space.

We want to make sure, fundamentally in everything that we do, that those that need most get most, and that we continue in that space as well. Working families, people who aren’t working as well, those who have special needs and disabilities, our elderly too.

Mr O'Brien said that it was too early to speculate about October's Budget after reports that Fine Gael would seek a €1,000 tax cut for middle-income earners.

“We’ll see what happens, but we’ve got to be careful about how we manage our finances too.

“And we will be, and that will be a decision that will be taken by Government as a collective, by all our TDs and by Cabinet in particular, as to how we move forward.”

Asked about his desire to see unused office space converted for housing, Mr O'Brien said that he had written to Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney on the issue, but could not say how many homes it would deliver.

“I think we’ve got to look at all avenues and to see what things can be done to look at where there may be surplus office space, and what can be repurposed into housing. 

But we need to actually increase our housing supply. We know that and we’re doing that, and it’s about further additionality, in that space."