Peadar Tobin

This is not about actually fixing the system.

It's about access.

So I think to a certain extent that the Siannads is unlikely to support this.

It looks like the majority of Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael Siannadors are not going to actually support this.

So it may not get through the Siannad.

And also by the time it even gets to the end of the Dáil, I suspect that a number of Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael TDs will actually see which way the wind is blowing internally in their own parties too.

and may even change their votes by the time that happens.

Ambitious TDs often follow their leader.

Well, they didn't in this case.

Some ministers who supported.

First of all, the government is one of the biggest sinners in relation to this.

First of all, there's 4,000 empty local authority homes today.

There's enough empty local authority homes to actually house everybody who's homeless in the state.

I did an audit of the departments a number of years ago, which showed that there were 547 vacant properties.

OPW told me a couple of weeks ago, they have 70 vacant properties at the moment.

Eireann Rodairn has 100 vacant properties at the moment.

So the state themselves is one of the biggest hoarders of vacant properties in this country.

And it's just the cheek of the taunt to blame somebody else for the problem is typical of what's happening in this country.

Yeah, listen, I've no doubt, first of all, that local authorities are under fierce pressure in terms of resources and in terms of powers as well.

I do support this taxation in terms of dereliction.