Jesuit priest Father Séamus Murphy has said the Government should proceed without delay to introduce legislation to enable local authorities to acquire land for housing at its current use value plus a maximum of 25 per cent.
Writing in the current issue of Working Notes, a publication of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, Father Murphy said the recent report on private property by the Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution showed that the Government was not constrained by constitutional provisions on property from capping the price of land acquired for housing or other development.
The practical implications of the findings for the lives of Irish people and communities "could be far-reaching, even revolutionary", he said.
It was important that all concerned about social justice should be aware of the report's finding and its potentially huge significance, he said. It meant there was no "constitutional roadblock" preventing the Government introducing reforms that would make Irish society fairer and less unequal.
"No longer may political parties claim that the Supreme Court won't let them make such reforms. Interested groups should push politicians to give substance to their initial welcome for the report by pressing ahead with the introduction of legislation to give effect to its findings," he said.
Father Murphy pointed out that the issue of ownership was an important theme of Christian ethical thought. Catholic social thought defended the right to private property but emphasised that ownership brought duties and that private property carried a "social mortgage", he said.
As Ireland grew increasingly wealthy, it was more important to discuss and raise awareness concerning the role and purpose of private property and its relationship with the common good, Father Murphy said.
