Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has slammed the Government parties of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Greens for voting against a Sinn Féin motion last night that sought to end investment funds swooping in and hoovering up Irish homes by removing the tax exemptions and sweetheart deals that make the Irish housing market a profiteer’s dream.
 
Teachta Crowe said:
 
“I am appalled that this Government voted down a practical Sinn Féin motion aimed at ending the practices of investment firms that are using a broken housing market in this state to enrich their investors. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have no interest in fixing the housing market that they built themselves. They have allowed vultures and cuckoo funds to come in and hoover up the few homes that are being built They have encouraged a system that inflates prices that has resulted in Irish families having no real hope of buying a house.
 
“These investment firms have deep pockets and almost unlimited funds. No family can hope to match them but it seems that this does not register with this government or is it that they just don’t care.
 
“The Sinn Féin motion was a simple but practical one. It called on the Government to end the tax advantages and exemptions granted by the Government to institutional investors and to introduce legislation to impose a stamp duty surcharge on the purchase of residential property by these investors.
 
“Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien is at sea when it comes to mending the housing crisis. He spent more time sneering at Sinn Féin TDs during this debate rather than trying to address the housing shortage and greed that has incensed so many Irish people. This is typical of this Coalition 
 
“Last night’s vote against the Sinn Féin motion is disappointing and is another indication that they have no new ideas of how to fix the housing crisis.”