Victor Boyhan urges swift discharge of residential tenancies bill
Victor Boyhan addressed the order of business and urged a timely discharge of the residential tenancies bill, welcoming the Government's expanded buy and renew scheme. He highlighted correspondence from Revenue about the transfer of derelict sites tax responsibilities and advised owners to act within a 12-month window ahead of 2027.
Order of business and residential tenancies bill
Victor Boyhan said he had no objection to the proposed order of business and expressed confidence the residential tenancies bill would be discharged "in a timely fashion" today. He encouraged colleagues to respect differing positions and to listen to contributions respectfully as the motion for early signature of the President was before the house.
Support for the expanded buy and renew scheme
He welcomed the Government's expanded buy and renew scheme aimed at converting long-term disused buildings into high-quality sustainable homes. Under the new scheme, building contractors will be able to acquire and refurbish vacant and derelict properties directly before selling them to local authorities or approved housing bodies for social housing.
Revenue correspondence and derelict sites tax
Boyhan referenced correspondence from Revenue dated 6 February and noted the Minister for Finance's Budget 2026 announcement that responsibility for collecting derelict sites taxes will rest with Revenue. He said the scheme may not be operational until 2027 and signalled owners are now on notice regarding obligations and opportunities.
Advice to owners and timeframe for action
He described the current situation as effectively a 12-month window for owners of derelict sites or empty properties to engage with revitalisation schemes. He urged those owners to take imaginative steps to bring derelict sites back into use to support social housing and wider housing supply.
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Thank you. First I want to refer to the proposed order of business for today. I would be pretty confident that the residential tenancies bill will be discharged today in a timely fashion, in a timely way. I would encourage all of us to come together and respect our own different positions. There has not been a lot of time, but given that your proposal is the order of business, that this would be discharged today and that there would be a motion put for the early signature of the President, that's before us. There's no counter proposal for that as of now. So look, I think it's important that we just get on with the business. We listen to what people have to say respectfully, which is generally the rule here, and we get on with it. So I just wanted to note that that's your proposal in the order of business. I have no objection to it, and I'd be reasonably confident that it will be discharged of in a timely manner this afternoon. I just wanted to raise the issue and welcome the Government's expanded buy and renew scheme aiming at turning the long-term disused buildings into high-quality sustainable homes. I think that's a really welcome initiative. Under the new expanded scheme announced by the Government this week, building contractors will be able to acquire and refurbish vacant and derelict properties directly, directly before selling them on to the local authorities or approved AHBs, approved housing bodies for social housing. Previously, only the local authorities and the AHBs could deliver the scheme under the programme. I suppose really what I want to highlight here today is that I've received some correspondence from Revenue, dated the 6th of February, in relation to the derelict sites. And we know that as a result of an announcement by the Minister of Finance in Budget of 2026, that responsibility for the collection of the derelict sites taxes will rest with revenue. And we also know that it will take possibly until 2027 to get that scheme running. So people are now on notice. Call it a tax amnesty, as I'd like to suggest it is. They are now on notice. From now to the beginning of the 2027, they should be availing. If they are in the ownership of derelict sites or derelict and empty properties, they have a 12-month window to engage in this scheme and other imaginative schemes in terms of revitalising derelict sites and derelict property, which we need to put in to get housing for all. Thank you. Thank you.
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