The Government has signalled a tentative willingness to adopt a call by an Oireachtas committee for a cap on the price of development land and taxes on windfall profits from land rezoning.
The Government chief whip, Ms Mary Hanafin, indicated last night that the Coalition would act to prevent land hoarding and reduce the prices paid by the State for land compulsorily acquired from developers.
Ms Hanafin was reading from a script prepared for the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, whose extended appearance at the planning tribunal meant he was unable to attend last night's publication of the report on property rights by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution.
She spoke after the Committee chairman, the Fianna Fáil Cork TD Mr Denis O'Donovan, said the current planning system created market distortion by facilitating "those with the resources to buy up development land and hold onto it".
Ms Hanafin said the Government would be "bearing in mind" the committee's conclusion that the State may acquire lands based on its existing use value "without paying the inflated market value of those lands".
She also said the Government would "carefully examine" proposals to tailor the tax and planning codes to ensure development land is released to meet the needs of the housing market. The vindication of property ownership rights in the Constitution "is not incompatible" with the provision of affordable housing and quality infrastructure, she added.
"Striking that balance means a fair price for property that must be compulsorily acquired for projects that benefit everybody. It means fair and transparent dealing in land, and no artificial impediments such as land hoarding."
Ms Hanafin also said the Government was committed to ending ground rents and would remove property ownership rights below a certain underground depth. Her remarks followed comments in the Dáil by the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, who described the report as "excellent" and said she hoped the Government could quickly act on it.
Ms Harney said: "The Kenny report has been in existence for some time and the committee has made recommendations, on an all-party basis, on a way forward. I hope we can act collectively to carry those through sooner rather than later." Labour called for the immediate introduction of legislation to implement the Committee's recommendation.
However, its environment spokesman, Mr Eamon Gilmore, said there were already indications that the Government may be planning to find ways around the recommendations, which are uncomfortable for "Fianna Fáil's friends in the building industry".
Fine Gael's environment spokesman, Mr Bernard Allen, said it was "most important" that the Government commit to implement the key proposals. The Government should not "cherry pick" the findings, he added.
The Greens' environment spokesman, Mr Ciaran Cuffe, called on Mr Ahern to immediately state what measures the Government planned to take in the light of the report.