Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It must be said that this Fine Gael tax is grossly fair. I am looking at figures from the statistics and economics research branch of the Revenue Commissioners which lists the percentages of homes with a valuation of over €300,000 based on returns five or six years ago. Dublin city comes in at 22%, Dún Laoghaire comes in at nearly 60%, Fingal comes in at 21%, south Dublin comes in at 19% while Wicklow and Kildare are also in the teens. In most other counties, it is down 0.1% or 0.2% so it is a grossly unfair tax. Its attachment to Revenue and social protection payments made it impossible for people to challenge it in the way they challenged the water tax. Many people would feel that local government should be properly funded but it should be funded on a fair basis across the whole country, which was one of Don Thornhill's four recommendations. At the moment, it is grossly unfair. The Minister is being very unfair to his city and constituents and it is time he did something about it.

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