Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

No one likes to pay tax. I have never met anyone who willingly pays tax but I am also conscious of the fact that if people did not pay tax we would not receive a wage.

The legislation may cover some of my questions and I may have missed the answers to them, so for the sake of clarity I will ask them. My understanding is that local authorities are supposed to have property registers. Perhaps many do not have them or do not keep them up to date. Are empty properties owned by local authorities subject to the charge? Will financial institutions that have repossessed properties be liable for a property tax on those properties? Is there a cross-over to Revenue with the non-principal primary residence charge of €200 or does that money remain with the local authority? I feel sorry for this group of people because this did not receive the same publicity as the household charge, and those who have emigrated were not, and probably still are not, aware of this charge. The clock is ticking at a tremendous rate as the charge goes up each year because there is a €20 fine per month.