Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

The 2007 register of Dáil Members found that the following percentages of TDs were either landlords or owned commercial residential investment property: 39 of 78 Fianna Fáil TDs, 50%; 49% of Fine Gael TDs; and 20% of Labour Party TDs. In 2013 the register showed 27% of Members of the Dáil were registered landlords. In 2007 an RTE "Prime Time" documentary found 22% of councillors dealt in or developed land in their day job as estate agents, landowners and builders. On the face of it this would seem objectively to be an unusually high concentration of property interests among public representatives at local and national level. Does Mr. McDonald believe that this might---