Sir, - Mr Dara Peter Keenan (February 16th) paints a rather grim picture of the difficulties in securing reasonable rental accommodation in Dublin, given the apparent scarcity of quality rented property on one hand, and a large, anxious pool of tenants on the other. He concludes his letter by enquiring when the Government will see fit to intervene.
The Government has intervened. In Bacon 3, it penalised potential property investors to the extent that many of them have left the market, very significantly contributing to the predicament Mr Keenan describes. The key question is: when will the Government take itself out of the market to allow it perform more effectively in this respect? Ten years ago it attracted a flood of tyro property speculators through Section 23 type investments; now it is driving these and other investors out of the market again.
The Government has no business distorting the market in this manner. Legislation to safeguard tenant and landlord is one thing, and well within the brief of good government; marketplace meddling and subversion of the tax system is quite another thing, and most certainly not a feature of responsible politics. - Yours, etc.,
Brendan O'Shea, Newbridge, Co Kildare.