Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

Census figures show that 44% of owner-occupiers have no mortgage. This means Sinn Féin is proposing that nearly half of residential property owners who have no mortgage or mortgage arrears and are not in negative equity should not pay a property tax. That is not to raise the question of those who acquired properties for investment purposes.

The Labour Party in government is committed to having progressive income and property taxes. We know what Sinn Féin's views are on the household charge, but what are its views on progressive property taxes? To date, it has avoided the challenge of answering that question, adopting a St. Augustine of Hippo position of "Lord, please give me property taxes, just not yet." Surely it must acknowledge the difference between a person buying a home under the tenant purchase scheme as in my parish of Ballyphehane and a person buying the vacant palace owned by the late Charles Haughey. I seriously call on it to withdraw this nonsensical Bill and, failing that, on every serious left-wing Member of the House to vote against it.

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