Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There are abuses. Nobody knows who is getting the dual abode allowance. The tax code is very transparent in other areas but we do not know which Ministers are availing of it. Why is it that Ministers who have houses can get an unvouched allowance of €6,500 from the Revenue? It is unbelievable.

This issue is a hobby-horse of mine. Getting rid of the dual abode allowance will not save a significant amount because there remains the issue of Ministers and Ministers of State and office-holders who need to reside in Dublin to carry out their duties. I make the comparison of that situation with the situation of people who have little or no disposable income. Four weeks away from Christmas those people are considering how to provide for their children and loved ones and more and more people are going to moneylenders, legal and illegal, and are tapping the credit union and the banks to try to get the loans they need to get them over Christmas. They are thankful the weather is not bad because they would not be able to afford the heating bills of previous years, yet the Government has decided to increase their property tax liability by ensuring that the full year's effect takes place in 2014. A large number of these individuals, even though the property is in place for only six months, have already paid 18 months' liability. It is beyond belief that this is what is happening. There are numerous examples of this. I have only focused on Ministers but there are better examples of how sections of society have not carried their fair share, how people have been treated in the Finance Bill. I have had amendments ruled out of order by SARP. These are very special people from outside our jurisdiction who come into companies and for whom we can write down their tax liabilities by massive amounts. We give then tax deductions of tens of thousands of euro. We allow them €5,000 to send their children to private schools yet at the same the ordinary Joe soap in Ireland who tries to fight his way through the recession in the hope of some light at the end of the tunnel is hit once again.

The property tax is only item but it is a big ticket item for them. There are many other provisions in the budget that we have discussed in the past two days and in the Social Welfare Bill and the health Bills all of which impact in the same way. Some will get on okay while others are drowning. They are trying to keep their head above water and this imposition is one step too far.