Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

If the matter were not so serious, it would be very funny.

The Finance (Local Property Tax Repeal) Bill is about lifting the burden of this unfair family home tax from families and households and replacing it with alternative measures to raise taxes, including a wealth tax. It is about undoing one of many bad policy decisions taken by Fine Gael and the Labour Party in the past two years. Fine Gael and the Labour Party were elected to undo the damage caused by Fianna Fáil, but they have instead chosen to implement Fianna Fáil policies. This has led to greater inequality, poverty and disadvantage. This week the cuts to the respite care grant will hit 77,000 of our most vulnerable citizens. Emigration and unemployment are at record levels, especially among young people. Public services, particularly health, are in crisis, with further cuts to be imposed this year.

The economy, particularly the domestic economy, is flatlined and, on top of all that, the family home tax is being imposed on citizens.

I listened last night and tonight to Fine Gael and Labour Deputies trying to defend this tax on the family home. They sought to do it, if we could believe this, and I do not believe that they believe this, by comparing-----

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