Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

They have a legitimate case to make, but that is not being taken into account.

We have an unemployment rate of almost 15%. An Irish League of Credit Unions survey showed that 1.8 million people live in households that have less than €100 on which to live after essential bills have been paid. The reality is that a great many individuals and families will be unable to pay this property tax because they do not have the money. The Minister's attempts to take into account ability to pay with his deferral proposal, where gross income less 80% of mortgage interest falls below €15,000 for single people and €25,000 for a couple, is not adequate. That will simply open an administrative nightmare. People who cannot even pay their mortgage are now being lumbered with having to work out whether they are entitled to a deferral of their property tax obligation.

See this speech in context