Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 May 2016
18. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance the number of residential property owners whose properties have been shown to have pyritic damage and who have received an exemption from local property tax since the regulations were changed under the Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Act 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10474/16]
View answerThe qualifying criteria in respect of exemption from Local Property Tax (LPT) for properties with 'significant pyritic damage' were modified by the Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Act 2015. The Act modified the qualifying criteria to include properties where:
1. a certificate of damage has been completed by a competent person as set down in the relevant Regulations or,
2. the property has been accepted into the pyrite remediation scheme operated by the Pyrite Resolution Board or,
3. an insurance company has remediated the property or provided sufficient funds to carry out the remediation or,
4. the person who built the property has remediated it or provided sufficient funds to carry put the remediation.
The relaxation of the certification requirement was one of the recommendations made by Dr. Don Thornhill in his review of the operation of the Local Property Tax on behalf of the Government in 2015. The changes are significant in that where a property has been included in the pyrite remediation scheme by the Pyrite Resolution Board (PRB) without testing, or a property has been remediated by a guarantee company or by a builder or developer or where a party is compensated in lieu of remediation, without testing, Revenue will now accept confirmation of remediation or compensation from the either the PRB or the relevant party for the purposes of exemption without testing or NSAI certification.
I am advised by Revenue that since the Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Act 2015 changed the LPT exemption criteria in respect of properties with significant pyritic damage, in excess of 1,300 cases have been identified that may now qualify for the relief.
Of these, 104 properties have already received the exemption while more than 500 property owners have been contacted by Revenue and are in the process of providing the necessary supporting documentation. Revenue expects to complete the reviews of the remaining 700 properties in the coming weeks and will make direct contact with property owners as required.
