Aontú Leader Questions Timing of Release of Homeless Figures

The Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD has accused the government of “sweeping the homeless figures under the carpet”. He made the comments after it was revealed that 15,286 people were living in emergency accommodation at the end of January, including 4,603 children.

Speaking today Deputy Tóibín said: “It very much seems to me that these figures are being released each month at a time when they are likely to get lost in the media cycle. They were released this afternoon, a Friday, when the Dáil is not in session. The Housing Minister seems to be shying from the government’s target of ending homelessness by 2030. This is alarming. The housing crisis has now become a humanitarian emergency”.

Deputy Tóibín continued: “Figures released to the Aontú this week show that the government collected almost €3 Billion in VAT on building materials and construction services in 2024, which is the highest amount ever collected in any single year. The government is cashing in on the housing crisis. VAT on construction materials must be reduced. We have estimated that as much as €50,000 on the price of each house, is taken up with government taxes and utility connection charges”.

“We must not get used to these homeless figures and monthly announcements. We cannot become immune to the fact that nearly 5,000 children are homeless is our country. I have submitted a number of Freedom of Information requests which have revealed that there are 4,000 vacant council houses – State-owned houses – across the country, enough to accommodate all the homeless people featured in these figures. Today we learn there are 4,603 homeless children in Ireland, the highest ever reported, yet the Irish political system is convulsed with a row on speaking rights for a handful of TDs. The government is wrong on the speaking rights row, but the political establishment needs to cop on fast. There is real work to be done”, concluded Tóibín.

ENDS

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For Written Answer on : 25/02/2025
Question Number(s): 323 Question Reference(s): 8084/25
Department: Finance
Asked by: Peadar Tóibín T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Finance the amount of VAT collected on building materials and construction services in each of the past ten years.

REPLY

I am informed by Revenue that traders are not required to identify the VAT yield generated from the purchase or supply of specific goods and services nor are they required to distinguish specific VAT rates on their periodic VAT returns. Therefore, it is not possible to provide an accurate estimate for the VAT yield generated from construction services or building materials.

However, using a number of third-party data sources, a tentative estimate of the VAT yield generated by construction related activity is presented in the table below for the requested years.