The Mayor of Drogheda, Councillor James Byrne, says that people who are in long term residential care should be allowed to rent out their vacant property to people seeking a home without facing financial penalties.
So, when Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien T.D. informed Cabinet colleagues yesterday that he is looking to accelerate changes to the Fair Deal Scheme to alleviate pressure in the housing market, it came like music to his ears.
“I wrote to the Minister last year regarding the treatment and assessment of rental income, under the Fair Deal scheme, of a person’s principal private residence when they move into long term residential care” Byrne said.
“At the time I was told that his department was engaging with the Department of Health on the matter.
“Reform of the scheme to allow people to rent out their unused property without facing financial penalty would go a long way to bringing thousands of much needed homes back onto the market, revitalising communities in the process.
“The Programme for Government, committed to reforming the Fair Deal scheme to incentivise renting out vacant properties and I’m pleased to see progress in delivering on this.”
