Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

I support the Bill. The Taoiseach said "it is morally wrong, unjust and unfair to tax a person's home". He has reneged on that promise as he has reneged on many another policy during his period in government.

This is a form of double taxation as we have already paid these taxes. It pays no regard to ability to pay. As other speakers have said, not a single extra cent will go to local authorities for local authority services. In the last four years, more than €534 million has been taken out of local authority budgets. This is a rip-off to pay the banks and the bondholders. We know that because the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government himself has told us. Speaking in the House on 21 February 2013 on the Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill, the Minister, Deputy Hogan, told us, stating:

In 2012, €46.5 million of motor tax income was transferred from the local government fund to the Exchequer. This year, an amount of up to €150 million will be similarly transferred. These are necessary measures towards the reduction of the national debt.

Motor tax income is part of the local authority fund. We are paying banks and bondholders from the local government fund and replacing that fund with the hated local property tax.

Local authority tenants will also have to pay the tax through their rent and lower and middle-income families who own their house, even if it is in huge negative equity and mortgage arrears, are compelled to pay this tax. It is a shameful item of regressive legislation, introduced with the support of the Labour Party. It is certainly not a property tax, it is a family home tax and is called a property tax to attempt to fool the population. It is a hated tax and the public are waiting for the opportunity to give the Government parties a bloody nose. They will do so in the local and European elections in 2014.

The Labour Party has played a despicable role in this and I call on members of trade unions affiliated to the Labour Party to instruct their unions immediately to stop taking the political levy from contributions. This is a method of sending a strong message to the Labour Party.

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