As the current Government approaches its conclusion, it’s unsurprising that friction starts to expose amongst its factions. A recent disagreement between the Fianna Fáil and the Green Party regarding the residential zoned land tax is a clear illustration of this. Revelations that the Finance Minister, Jack Chambers, intends to postpone the commencement of the tax from its scheduled initiation in February 2025 have drawn immediate responses from Green representatives, including State Minister Ossian Smyth, who denounced any deferral.
The worry for Chambers and his Fianna Fáil peers is the possibility of the legislation unfairly burdening certain farmers effectively utilising zoned land for farming activities. The Greens counter that provisions for such situations can be incorporated during the Finance Bill’s enactment. However, the Government is predicted to hasten a simplified Bill following the Budget, aiming to instigate an election prior to October’s end. This expedited process would complicate adjustments to the tax.
In terms of the disagreement’s merits, the Greens hold a compelling argument. This Government has been munificent in providing incentives to the housing construction industry through various programs and subsidies, inflating prices and enhancing developer profits. Meanwhile, it has been slow to implement even a slight disincentive like the new tax, envisioned to discourage land hoarding.
Nonetheless, as the countdown to the general election exponentially intensifies, the available room for compromise is expected to shrink as parties grow more wary of their electoral bases’ reactions to their choices. The Greens are acutely aware of the impending task of minimising their electoral losses.
State Minister Thomas Byrne of Fianna Fáil has highlighted the rarity of public discord amongst the Government’s trio until this point. He and his colleagues might need to prepare for an increase in friction in the forthcoming months.