Government faces new challenges as threat of pandemic recedes

Good morning. As the threat of the pandemic has receded in the face of the vaccine rollout, fresh challenges for the Government have rushed in to fill the gap.

Yesterday saw not one but two Cabinet meetings, each dominated by a different topic; neither was Covid-19. Last night, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe announced that from today – when the Dáil passes a financial resolution – stamp duty on the purchase of ten or more houses will attract a new rate of 10 per cent.

The measure is intended to be punitive, to dissuade investment funds from buying up entire housing estates, or large blocks of them. It will not apply to blocks of apartments, while local authorities and approved housing bodies will be exempt as well.

Our report is here.

Stamp duty hike of 10% for bulk-buyers of houses set to be approved by Dáil

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HSE IT system will take ‘several weeks’ to get back up and running – Donnelly

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Miriam Lord: From Iarnród Enda to Sewer Rod Enda

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Dáil unexpectedly passes SF motion seeking Dublin affordable housing for €230,000

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The move is part of a package of measures approved by Ministers intended to deal with the housing crisis and to prevent first-time buyers and others from being squeezed out by property investment funds. It will also see up to 50 per cent of a housing development put aside for purchase by this category of buyer, alongside the “Part V” commitments on social and affordable housing. That commitment could also rise, to up to 30 per cent of units in certain developments.

There is concern in Government that the funds should not be dissuaded from other property investment, especially apartments, where it is hoped they will continue to finance large developments in urban areas.

So this is the Government’s idea of a balancing act: the danger is it will end up pleasing nobody, and it is likely to come under severe scrutiny in the Dáil today. The Opposition rejected the steps as too little, too late last night.

They have already caused some difficulties for the Green Party –all the Green Ministers were sceptical about the plan, we report this morning. And the greatest sceptics about Government housing policy in the Greens are certainly not their Ministers. There's a whiff of danger about this for the party, and maybe the Government.

The Indo goes all out and declares a “split” in the Coalition.

Further reports and analysis are here and here.

HSE hacking: How prepared was the State?

The other Cabinet meeting – the regular, weekly one held on Tuesday mornings – saw Ministers briefed on the Government’s response to the HSE hack.

Officials are still finding it hard to be definitive about when service will return to normal because the extent of the damage to the HSE systems isn’t yet clear. But it seems that the disruption may get worse before it gets better.

Reports here and here.

Yesterday in the face of questioning from Aontú TD Peadar Tóibín, the Taoiseach was forced to defend the State's preparedness for such an attack.

Ministers have been keen to stress that the HSE is the victim and the victim shouldn’t be blamed. But it is a question that won’t go away. The nagging suspicion is that the State did not devote anything like the resources needed to protect itself from such an event. That line is likely to become more pronounced in the Opposition’s questioning.

And matters Covid . . .

This morning's news is not entirely devoid of Covid, though. Registration opens this morning for those aged 49, and will continue for the 45-49 age group in the coming days. Yesterday, the Cabinet approved the continuation of the emergency powers until November.

Meanwhile, the HSE (as if it hasn't enough to do) is trying to figure out the advice from the National Immunisation Advisory Council (Niac) on the use of the Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines and what it might mean for the vaccination programme. Jack Horgan-Jones is doing the same thing.

Best reads

Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern and his old mucker Tony Blair had some advice on Anglo-Irish relations, the North and the protocol.

Meanwhile, new DUP leader Edwin Poots has adopted the commendable habit of speaking of himself in the third person. "There's no risk to the institutions coming from Edwin Poots," said Edwin Poots, as Freya McClements reports. Others to refer to themselves in the third person: Pee Flynn, Diego Maradona, several bushily-moustachioed Latin America colonels.

Michael McDowell says we must examine the State's response to Covid.

Kathy Sheridan on Frostie's dangerous game.

The latest from Gaza and Israel, and The Irish Times view.

Playbook

It’s a busy day in the Dáil with a lot of Government legislation filling the day. There are five Bills down for debate – the Nursing Home Support Scheme Bill, the Personal Insolvency Bill, the Counterfeiting Bill, the Accredited Grades Bill and the Gender Pay Gap Information Bill. Leaders Questions are at noon, weekly votes at 9.15pm, and the Dáil adjourns at 10pm.

Busy day at the committees, too. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar is in at the enterprise committee this morning, while former Aer Lingus and British Airways boss Willie Walsh will speak to the transport committee about the future of the aviation sector.

Twitter, Facebook and TikTok will appear before the media and culture committee to discuss the online safety Bill. Yes, yes, you'll be able watch on social media. Full list of committees and details of the day's sittings are here.