Public misled on Housing during election
- Tax breaks planned for developers – not in manifestos or Programme for Government.
- Rent Pressure Zones under threat while rents at record levels.
- 40,000 housing completion target not met.
Responding to reports today of tax breaks for housing developers, Labour Housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan has said the voting public were misled during the election about the housing plans of Fianna Fáil if returned to government.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“The Irish Times today reports that the Cabinet Committee on housing will next week discuss tax incentives for private housing developers. I don’t recall either FF or FG promoting tax breaks for developers during the election nor is it outlined in the Programme for Government. The public were clearly misled on their real housing plans.
“At the weekend we also had the Taoiseach tell the Irish Examiner that rent pressure zones could be phased out at the end of the year. The programme for government states something quite different – that they will ‘continue to review the effectiveness of the Rent Pressure Zones’ which is what the FF manifesto also said, while FG said it will maintain the RPZ framework to keep rent increases under control.
“Whatever system may replace RPZs, it cannot allow for increases in rent levels which are already at record highs. We can’t pull the rug out from under renters. Labour has long called for a rent register to set reference rents but that key issue of a set local rent level is not outlined in the Programme for Government. Critically Labour would tie the introduction of reference rents to a three year rent freeze while the State works to increase housing supply.
“The truth about housing completions in 2024 has also emerged, with the public wilfully misled about the true level of house building last year. They knew their Housing for All plan wasn’t working but the truth was buried until after the election when it emerged just 30,030 homes were built rather than the promised 40,000.
“The Taoiseach likes taking pot shots at the Opposition on housing, yet it is now clear that the real plans of Fianna Fáil were kept hidden from the public in the general election. With FG they have implemented housing policies over the last decade that has made the problem worse. With no new ideas on how to ramp up supply FF are once again bowing to the demands of private developers and investors that will see tax breaks, higher rents and speculative development at the heart of government policy.
“On Wednesday the Dáil will debate Labour’s motion on housing that sets out our case for radical change, not more pandering to investors. The government is out of ideas, and unless it changes course the housing crisis will only deepen.”