Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As a society, a Government and a people, we need to chart a way forward. The point has already been made about the need to have a sustainable tax base. In that context, we should not forget one simple statistic. Under Fianna Fáil, in a 12 month period in 2008, tax revenues went from €51 billion to €37 billion. They collapsed because of the collapse of the property market. The task of this Government or indeed any Government, even one involving the Communist Party of Ireland or Sinn Féin, is relatively simple.

The task of the Government is to broaden the tax base and take in more taxes. In reducing the deficit we are doing that.

Any party, including Sinn Féin, whatever about the nonsense of the debate yesterday and today, which proposes the abolition of a property tax will be laughed out of court. This country needs to move away from its obsession with the taxation of income and work. We still have 1.8 million people working in our economy, rather than the 2 million at the top of the boom. The best way to keep those people at work and create the conditions for more people to enter the labour market on a sustainable basis is not to increase tax on work.

We already have tax on work of approximately 52%, comprising a 41% basic top rate and 11% between USC and PRSI, on quite small amounts of income, namely, anything over €32,500. Are we seriously suggesting that we can create a jobs rich economy by continuing to tax the hell out of people which, ultimately, is the Sinn Féin proposal? It is inevitable that we have to have a property tax and that it will be part and parcel of our taxation system into the future if people are honest.

The Deputies opposite claim some of my colleagues never read their documents. I read them very closely and keep a very close eye on what they have to say. I would like to talk about what they have to say because it is the nub of the debate. The Deputies opposite should answer three simple questions.

At his Ard Fheis, Deputy Doherty proposed the abolition of USC. Is that still the position of Sinn Féin? If it is, it will have to find another €985 million to make sure the figures stack up. Of course it will not do that. We need to hear whether that is still its position. Is it still its position to reduce VAT, which we had to increase from 21% to 23%? If it is, it will have to find another €500 million. Sinn Féin would be €1.5 billion in deficit, irrespective of what it would do about wealth tax.

On 12 November last Deputy Doherty published an explanatory memorandum rather than proposed legislation. Today I asked the Bills Office for a copy of his wealth tax Bill and was told it did not have it because there are no details. It is just a speech which can be transposed and says a wealth tax will solve all our problems. On 12 November last Deputy Doherty told us: "It is our intention to table a Private Members' motion on the issue at the soonest opportunity." Let us have it now.

When Sinn Féin produces its pre-budget submission it does not start from what it said the previous year, rather, it starts from the hard measures the Deputies on this side of the House advocate and back which it then opposes. It does not compensate for that in its pre-budget submission the following year. At the heart of the Sinn Féin alternative is a fundamental lie. It knows it, we know it and the country knows it. That is why it is going down in the polls and why the comeback for Sinn Féin is nowhere near.

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