Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I did not say that I regarded a car as a luxury. I merely observed that the view is taken in other jurisdictions that where a person is in serious debt and that debt is to be written off, it is not reasonable that the individual should continue to run a car. It is not merely the question of excluding the car as an asset of value; consideration is also given to all of the inherent expenses involved in keeping a car on the road.

Northern Ireland is as much a rural community as the Republic of Ireland, so we should not look in two opposite directions on exactly the same issue. Whatever the difference in vehicle registration tax as between the two jurisdictions, the Deputy cannot seriously suggest that a car valued at £1,000 in the North is of necessity far superior to any vehicle one might purchase for €2,000 in the Republic. The Deputy knows that is a nonsensical claim. In fact, a car valued at €2,000 in this State will invariably be in better condition than a car valued at only £1,000 in Northern Ireland. Moreover, the Deputy's party was satisfied with a valuation of £1,000 being included in the legislation enacted in the North.

See this speech in context