Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is nearly 40 years since rates were abolished. The former residential property tax was confined to Dublin. Some speakers have recommended adopting elements of taxation systems in other countries such as the wealth tax in France but not its property tax and another tax from somewhere else. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett's views on the increase in DIRT were very balanced in the debate on the budget. He said he regarded it as a wealth tax. On the other hand, Sinn Féin does not regard the DIRT as a wealth tax. I listened to Deputy Dessie Ellis's contribution. He and I were councillors. He ran a very efficient campaign against bin charges, the outcome of which was the privatisation of waste services in the Dublin area.

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