Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----but I was well aware that the Revenue Commissioners had sent the letters to people who were not on direct debits and for whom there would be no change in the system because those payments would continue. It was necessary for the Revenue Commissioners, in their independence, to remind people that the 2014 property tax is due and due only in 2014. There was no intention - as has been said in some quarters - to execute some sort of Government money-grab before the end of 2013. The Minister for Finance has made it perfectly clear that the preference of the Department of Finance and of the Government is to have a steady stream of income through 2014. The seven options set out in the letter from the Revenue Commissioners allow people to do that. I will repeat for Deputy Adams, as I did for Deputy Martin, that payment of the 2014 property tax is due from 1 January 2014 only and can be spread out in a variety of ways or by single debit mandate effective from 21 March 2014. Again, I thank all those people who paid their property taxes in 2013 for the half year in a variety of ways. All the Revenue Commissioners have said is that they have asked people to let them know which payment option is being chosen, which will allow payment of the property tax in 2014.

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