Mr. Tom Geraghty:

May I respond to the point about the ICTU position in respect of a property tax? It is not dissimilar to what I have already said, which is that there are divided opinions among trade unions about the issue of a property tax. There are those who would argue - I am sure this is the view that Deputy Boyd Barrett would have sympathy with given the income tax system is so disproportionately skewed against people in the PAYE sector - that imposing a property tax in addition to that has a disproportionate impact on workers. Equally, others in the trade unions will argue the opposing point.

It is difficult to see how one could have an equitable tax system with a broad base of taxes without having a property tax. Rather than beating ourselves up about whether we are for or against the notion of a property tax, we accept it as a given because the Government has decided that there will be a property tax. We confined our submission to focusing on the protections we would like to see included if a property tax is to be introduced.