Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

The difference is that people in receipt of RAS and people in local authority accommodation can work as much as they want. People on rent supplement cannot do that. The Minister is not making a fair argument because people do not have that opportunity if on rent supplement. In the majority of cases, she is taking that money directly out of the social welfare payment.

Why did the Minister not examine the idea of insisting that the Revenue Commissioners, through her Department and the Private Residential Tenancies Board, ensure they get all taxation due on these properties rather than only penalise the tenant? If we ensured all landlords paid tax, it would be a definite way for the Minister to get greater funding into the Exchequer, although I appreciate not specifically into her Department. She could have gone down that road instead of penalising the tenant by increasing the amount he or she must pay.

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