Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is supposed to be a property tax Bill, but, if we were to be honest with ourselves, we would realise it is not such a Bill but one imposing a tax on the family home. The Bill gives new draconian powers to the Revenue Commissioners, allowing the Government to take money from wages, pensions, social welfare payments and even single farm payments. The powers in the Bill are unprecedented. The financial consequences of the Bill which have been alluded to, with the harsh budget, will force many families, including children, into poverty. They will force an increasing number of families into the arms of loan sharks. In the past 20 months we have seen a seamless transfer of policy from Fianna Fáil to Fine Gael and the Labour Party. Fianna Fáil's national recovery plan for the period 2011 to 2014, produced before the dying days of its Administration, outlined how the party was committed to introducing a household charge of €100 per annum. This was to lead to a property tax yielding a total of €530 million in 2014. It is the politics of Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

Let me use this opportunity to challenge some of the untruths propagated by the Taoiseach and, in particular, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan. The Minister who is not present uses the last minute of each reply at Question Time to propagate misinformation to continue to mislead people about rates in the Six Counties. It is not for me or Sinn Féin, a republican party, to defend the six county state because we are committed to Irish reunification and having a 32 county republic. It is important, however, to know the facts. The Northern Assembly does not have fiscal powers and cannot increase or decrease taxes. Taxation is the preserve of Westminster. Yesterday the Tánaiste and the Minister did not even know that social welfare rates were set in London, on the next island.

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