Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Let us be clear. The Minister makes the valid point that landlords are getting more income so they are paying more tax. That is not what I am talking about. I am talking about tax rates. The amounts landlords are now paying as a result of either thresholds being changed, tax credits being introduced or offsets being increased has all favoured a tax reduction as opposed to a tax increase, has it not? There is this myth that the Government likes to peddle, as do those who want to make policy changes to the benefit of landlords, that suggests there has been an increased tax burden on landlords over the past number of years. It is the opposite. I read it out to the Minister. It is his Department officials' own statement. The actual burden on landlords has decreased because they have benefitted from all of the changes that have taken place in subsequent finance Bills - whether it is the standard threshold being increased, tax credits, or mortgage interest relief that is now at 100%. Does he accept that rates have not increased on landlords, but have actually reduced?