Homeless charity "strongly welcomes" plan to tax owners of empty properties

Homeless charity Peter McVerry Trust have said they are giving a 'strong welcome' to the government's plan to tax the owners of empty houses.

In today's budget, Minister Donohoe said he will introduce a new tax on the owners of homes that are lying empty and unused.

The Peter McVerry Trust said the measure should increase the availability of housing across the country and is not just a means of raising revenue.

In other housing related measures, it was announced that €500 annual renters' tax credit will be backdated to 2022 and The Help to Buy scheme is to be extended, at current rates, until the end of 2024.

Pat Doyle, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust said “In March 2017 Peter McVerry Trust first proposed a vacant homes tax, at that stage 63% of the public supported such a measure.

"Since then the awareness and understanding of the potential of vacant homes to tackle the housing crisis has improved and deepened.”

“We have been consistent in our engagement with Government since 2017 that we believe that the introduction of a vacant homes tax has the potential to increase the availability of all forms of housing.

"We believe that the tax represents one of the final measures needed to realise the full potential of vacant homes.

"Taken in conjunction with the wide array of funding schemes that have been in place and that are still available to reuse vacant homes we believe we will now see a steady increase in vacant homes being reused alongside greater housing delivery.”