Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are 1.92 million properties in Ireland. The current figure for involuntary payments is 97,018. In 2017, it was 90,000 and in 2016 it was 80,000. On the general question, Ireland was the only jurisdiction in the EU that did not have a property tax. Maybe Ireland was right and all of the other countries were wrong in terms of the collection of tax from property or maybe it is the other way around. As I said, the yield is less than 1% of GDP, or €500 million, in a jurisdiction where the total tax yield is approximately €52 billion. The actual figure is €470 million. The left in Ireland has chosen to oppose the property tax. It is the only left in Europe to oppose a property tax, which is a tax on wealth. I have not lumped properties together. Rather, I said that property is the highest form of wealth in this country by a country mile. That is true. Most properties are held by an individual as a primary home. I am not disputing that that is the case.