Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)

I will elaborate on the wider point. The fact is that this is not just for diesel-guzzling vans and cars; it is a tax increase for an individual driving a zero-emissions electric car. I know the Minister said he could not provide the details and all that, but I presume they are easy enough to work out. Is it not the case that from next year, people can reduce the OMV by €30,000? This means that for somebody driving an electric car doing about 35,000 km, the OMV of the car will be 12% against the value of the car, which will drop from €50,000 to €20,000. What is allowed at the moment is a €30,000 reduction in the value of the car. That will go to zero over the next four years. Therefore, there will be an extra €30,000 which will be part of the calculation for benefit-in-kind. That will be over €3,500. As a result, there will be a substantial hit involved. I have just given an example of an electric vehicle with zero carbon emissions. Those driving other cars will be hit much harder. For the type of vehicle that costs €50,000, there will be an increase in benefit-in-kind, a notional amount, of €3,600 over the next number of years as a result of this section.

This amendment would not stop the tapering that is already legislated for in previous Finance Acts, but it would stop the tapering in this Bill. That is what it disrupts. It disrupts the fact that the €10,000 will not be reduced over the next number of years.