Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Mar a duirt an Teachta Martin, le laethanta beaga anuas tá neart daoine ag léiriú a gcuid mearbhall i leith an cháin mhaoine áitiúil. Tá a fhios ag an Taoiseach gurb í sin an fhírinne. Tá saoránaigh trasna an Stát faoi a lán brú faoi láthair. Go háirithe, elderly citizens and those who are struggling financially are in a state of distress after receiving letters from the Revenue Commissioners demanding payment of the 2014 property tax bill - the very unjust family home tax - by the end of this month. That is a fact. Contrary to the Taoiseach's protestations, that is what is in the letter. The Revenue Commissioners have reportedly issued 960,000 of these letters. The Tánaiste has said that the Revenue needs to reconsider the payment deadline. I am a huge fan of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, and I marvel at his communications skills and his intellectual ability, but he has confessed that he cannot explain the Revenue letter. Teachta Martin makes the case that this policy is wrong because it was rushed; the policy is wrong because it is wrong. It is totally and absolutely unfair. The Taoiseach misses the point if he avoids the issue of this very unfair property tax. It is unfair to ask people to pay next year's tax this year but it is also unfair to ask people to pay tax on their family homes and get no return for it in terms of local services. The fundamental unfairness is rooted in his Government's austerity policy. I also wish to give the Taoiseach the opportunity to answer the question he failed to answer earlier. Was the Taoiseach or the Minister for Finance aware that the Revenue Commissioners were going to demand that those who have to pay or who choose to pay this tax by debit card or credit card pay it this year? That is a very straightforward question. Was the Taoiseach or the Minister for Finance aware that citizens who wished to pay by credit or debit card would be asked to pay this year?

See this speech in context