A majority of Irish people believe cutting tax breaks for developers would help boost the number of new houses being built. 

In 2024, 30,330 new homes were built in Ireland - down from 32,525 the previous year. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has hinted that tax breaks for the construction sector is one policy the Government might introduce to try and turn things around. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, MyHome.ie Managing Director Joanne Geary said a recent survey by the company found that most people back radical changes in housing policy. 

“It appears that at this stage that people are less worried about how the property crisis is going to be solved, they just want to see progress,” she said. 

“50% of the respondents said that tax breaks for developers were needed to boost rental supply. 

“39% said they were needed for housing supply for property to buy.

“46% also told us that the rental pressure zones needed to be abolished, to free up rental investment into the market.” 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin visiting a construction site. Picture by: Julien Behal Photograph / RollingNews.ie

People Before Profit have argued the Government should rule out tax breaks for the developers on the grounds that they “played a central role in the building of the property bubble and then the crash” 20-years ago. 

It is, Ms Geary said, the Government will be concerned about. 

“Certainly, from a Government perspective, the Minister for Finance may be thinking this could bring us back to a bubble and burst type of scenario,” she said. 

“But back then, we were in an unregulated lending market and certainly how those breaks were used needs to have a lot of review. 

“So, what I would be saying to the Government is, look back to the past, learn from the mistakes of the past. 

“We don’t need tax breaks for blanket relief, they need to be very specific and with timelines to address the property pipeline that we have.” 

Construction work on an affordable housing scheme in Dublin. Picture by: PA Images/Alamy

Ms Geary added that there is also “very strong” support for the Government to do more to bring vacant homes back into use. 

“Nine out of 10 people believe the Government is not doing enough to use vacant properties,” she said. 

“We looked a little bit more into the detail on this ourselves; you consider that the Vacant and Derelict Homes Grant has been around for the last two and a half years. 

“We’re being told that there are about 100,000 vacant properties in the country. 

“To date, looking at the Department of Housing’s own figures, only about 1,500 grants have been awarded - so, 1% of the vacant housing stock has received a Vacant and Derelict Homes Grant.” 

Ms Geary called for a review into the scheme, noting that people routinely complain about the length of time it takes to process applications.

Main image: Builders at work. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie