Independent TD for Donegal Thomas Pringle has told the government that no matter how they ‘dress up’ the concrete levy, homeowners will bear the cost.
Speaking in the Dáil yesterday, Deputy Pringle asked the government why they didn’t impose a levy on building sector profits instead of concrete products.
The government has been urged by the opposition to scrap the concrete levy which will place a 10% charge on the price of concrete blocks, pouring concrete and other products.
The Society of Chartered Surveyors have warned that this scheme could see an extra €4,000 added to the price of a house.
Pringle TD criticised the government’s “extremely lazy” approach to generating extra funds for the defective blocks redress scheme. “Because you introduce a levy knowing that it’s going to be lumped on to the costs of the people who have to pay for the building work,” he said.
He said: “You can dress it up as being a levy on the building industry, when it’s actually a levy on the people who pay to get work done.”
“Because the reality is that already all citizens are paying for the redress,” he said.
The deputy said: “And now you’re asking people, you’re forcing people who are trying to build a house to pay double. Because they’ll be paying through their taxation, their general taxation anyway.”
Deputy Pringle said: “That’s typical of the light-touch regulations that’s been espoused by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael over many years.”
