Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)

I support the amendment and have argued for the establishment of a commission to look at how we would tax wealth in the State in the form of a wealth tax. Obviously that would interact with other existing taxes that take place, despite the claims by others. Obviously property would be included in that, even in the legislation that we included. To argue, however, that the local property tax is a wealth tax - as has been suggested here - that is not the case. There are people here who have been in negative equity and local property tax will apply. Therefore, it is a debt in some cases as opposed to an asset.