‘The lowest rent sin Kill arney now stand at €1,300 a month’
THE lowest rent in Killarney is now €1,300 per month, Deputy Danny Healy-Rae told the Dáil. Speaking during a debate on housing, he said people cannot find that type of money.
“It should also be realised that the Government is taking 50 per cent of what most of the landlords are getting in rent per month,” he said. “They are paying 50 per cent tax and something must be done about that if we want rents to decrease.”
With regard to social housing, he said the Department is holding matters up. “There are four stages of approval,” he said. “Private developers are finding it very hard to gain access to funding. There are so many levies and obstacles to be overcome. I am aware of one developer who is trying to start building houses for a voluntary housing group.
“The process has been going on since the summer with one thing after another. If it is not Irish Water requiring matters to be dealt with, there is duplication between the local authority and all the other agencies. There are so many problems.”
Deputy Michael Healy-Rae said there was nothing criminal about a landlord owning property. “There is nothing wrong with it,” he said. “In many instances, those people are really struggling themselves to try to keep on top of bank repayments, rent out a property, keep it in good condition and pay their taxes. Every Minister knows that if those people were not in the market and taking a chance, there would be total chaos in this country.”
Deputy Healy-Rae said there were Members in the Dáil denigrating landlords, calling them this and that, and asking about this and that, “as if landlords were pariahs or doing something wrong. They are respectable people who are just earning a living. They are doing it by the book. That is a difficult job.”
Concern over Aughinish Alumina
A CALL for the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney to come to the Seanad at the earliest opportunity to discuss the situation in Aughinish Alumina on the Shannon Estuary was made by Fianna Fáil Senator Ned O’Sullivan.
“This is a significant employer, providing 480 jobs and is probably underpinning more than 2,000 support jobs,” he said. “The main owner of the consortium that runs this project is a Russian oligarch, Mr Oleg Deripaska. He is one of 24 people who was listed by the US as having interfered with their elections and is therefore blacklisted.
“There is a very serious threat hanging over imports of the products from Aughinish Alumina as long as he is a board member. Negotiations have been ongoing. The chairman of that group, Lord Barker of Battle, announced that the group was in serious negotiations for Mr Deripaska to reduce his holding.”
Senator O’Sullivan said it looked as if it would be okay, but the US Treasury Secretary recently announced that he is not prepared to look at the issue until January 2019. “That is a sword of Damocles hanging over a significant project. I ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to intervene and come to this Chamber as soon as possible.”
In reply, the Leader of the House, Senator Jerry Buttimer, said he would be happy to try to have the Minister come to the House to discuss the matter. “It is an important industry which provides employment in a significant part of the country,” he added.
Concern at changes to Fair Deal scheme
The 14,000 homes currently vacant because their owners are in nursing homes availing of the Fair Deal scheme was raised in the Dáil by Fianna Fáil Deputy John Brassil.
He said the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Jim Daly, gave an undertaking that he would review this with a view to trying to get some percentage of those properties into circulation to help deal with the housing and homeless crisis. “Has he made any progress in that regard?” he asked.
Independent Deputy Danny Healy-Rae said farmers have concerns that proposed changes to the Fair Deal scheme will not help them much because 100 per cent of the value of their farms will still be assessed, which means 22.5 per cent of the value of the family home can be used to pay for the person’s care.
In response, Minister of State Jim Daly said he hoped to publish the heads of the Bill before year end. “On the Deputy’s point that it will not help farmers, I argue it will if it is capped at 22.5 per cent,” he said. “The present situation is up to 100 per cent of the farm can be taken under the fair deal scheme. This would apply a cap at 22.5 per cent, so it would be far superior to the current arrangement.”
He told Deputy Brassil the review of the scheme is still continuing. “I hope by year end to have some progress on it. I note the Deputy’s interest and I will keep him updated.”