Immigration and Housing Minister David Burch has said he is "not hearing" complaints about a law which prevents Bermudians married to foreigners from gaining a second home.

Sen. Burch told a press conference on Tuesday: "Don't talk foolishness to me about foreigners owning their second house. There are a lot of Bermudians who don't have a house."

He added: "Until we solve the problem of ownership of houses in Bermuda, I am not hearing you."

The Minister had been asked to comment on the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Amendment Act 2007, which requires mixed-status couples to obtain a licence for first homes and any additional homes obtained before June 22, 2007.

Since that date, Bermudians married to expatriates have not been allowed to have more than one property.

The deadline for couples to apply for licences is June 22 and Shadow Attorney General Trevor Moniz told The Royal Gazette earlier this week that Government should extend the deadline and rethink the law.

Sen. Burch told the media: "Who left in the Country don't know you don't communicate to this Minister via The Royal Gazette?

"Ask him did he vote for the amendment. That's not how you get me to try and help you. Maybe somebody in this Country go tell the UBP: 'If you really want anybody to listen to you, you don't say you've got everything wrong and now I want you to do it my way.' No sir."

Mr. Moniz told this newspaper yesterday he had always been "respectful and constructive" in his approach. "We always expressed reservations about this legislation.

"The remarks I recently made to The Royal Gazette were previously stated by myself at least twice on the floor of the House of Assembly, during the Budget debate and during the debate on extending the Government's time for formulating a register of foreign land holdings. In the former case of my speech during the Budget, the Minister was present, sitting in the Speaker's gallery.

"Thus this issue is a red herring, as I did not communicate through The Royal Gazette; I said it in his presence. Of course, it should not matter in any case, as we hold public office and are discussing the people's business, thus it is quite proper and appropriate to discuss it in the media."

The deputy Opposition leader said connecting the right of a Bermudian with a non-Bermudian spouse to own a second house to the issue of housing was misguided.

"It is quite possible to do two things at the same time and there is no shortage of houses with the recession," said Mr. Moniz.

"This is why I have said repeatedly that in light of our changed economic circumstances, Government may wish to revisit certain aspects of this law, particularly the spouse situation and the parent/child situation. The Minister is approaching the issue of low-cost houses with separate initiatives."

Former Immigration Minister Derrick Burgess said in a statement about the Act in July 2007: "The Government is motivated by the wish to preserve as much of Bermuda's land for Bermudians as possible."

He said: "We are not persuaded by those Bermudians who complain that they are being discriminated against because they are not permitted to purchase a second residential property with their non-Bermudian spouses.

"The Government is more concerned about preserving residential properties that might be purchased by Bermudians who do not already own a home in Bermuda."