Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I have a brief supplementary question for the ICMSA. Does it recognise the difficulty we have in distinguishing between the strong case for defending a heritage and way of life and protecting the right of families to carry on their farming tradition, and the case for capital acquisitions tax or capital gains tax? I see the logic from the association's point of view. However, from the point of view of those of us in urban areas, there is a real problem about large numbers of very wealthy people getting away with not paying that much tax at a time when we want to shift the tax burden away from those on low and middle incomes towards those who can afford to pay. Does Mr. Dolan get my point? Is there a case for distinguishing between small and larger farmers in a way that can bridge that gap? Otherwise, we end up in a position where the city is played off against the countryside and resentment builds up between farmers and city dwellers. This does not help anybody. This is something to think about, but perhaps there is no response to it.