Minister signals tax waiver for pyrite homes

Houses with a “certifiable level of pyrite” should receive a waiver from the property tax, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has told the Dáil.

He said he would deal with the issue in the Finance Bill as he introduced the controversial 70-page Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill.

Mr Noonan insisted the tax would deliver “significant economic and fiscal reform through broadening the revenue base to pay for vital public services”.

But Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the technical group criticised the Government for “ramming” the Bill through the Dáil in two days. There was repeated criticism of the legislation, including from Government backbenchers, although there were no Coalition defections in the 79 to 44 vote victory on the second or introductory stage of the legislation.

Debate on the Bill concludes on Tuesday.