Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Good luck to him with that.

I do not agree with amendment No. 65. I understand the thought process behind it but I do not think the first €300,000 in commercial property should be at 2%. I support the 6%. It is there not only to raise money but to have an effect. There has to be a cooling down of the commercial property market.

I support amendment No. 66, as tabled by Deputies Fitzmaurice and Mattie McGrath. This is a sensible amendment. It will go back to 2% for the first €300,000 of agricultural land. That is sensible. Tax can do two things: raise income and lead to behavioural changes. We need to support the agricultural sector. Deputies Mattie McGrath and Fitzmaurice are completely correct in that.

I acknowledge, as others have done, the changes made in this Bill and the last one that support that sector. In this Bill, however, the increase in stamp duty is not supportive and this is a problem. That is a sensible half-way meeting point where the first €300,000 would be subject to 2%. I support that.

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