Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)

It is probably a missed opportunity because if we had increased the rate by another 5% we would have brought in €165 million which would have off-set some of the cuts to child benefit proposed by the Government. The measure does not go far enough.

I inquired previously about the holiday on capital gains tax of seven years for property buyers. Does the Minister agree that it is a dangerous move because in conjunction with the previous resolution on stamp duty it could give rise to property speculation again whereby people could buy up property, sit on it for seven years and benefit from the capital gains tax holiday?

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