Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

It is connected to the question of who should be exempted from payment of the household charge such as those in receipt of disability benefit, blind person's allowance and lone parent's allowance. Mortgage-holders in difficulty who are unable to meet mortgage repayments should also be exempted and also people in negative equity and those who bought property during the boom from 2004 to 2011 or thereabouts. Those people paid substantial stamp duties. The budget announced a reduction in stamp duty to provide an incentive for property purchase. The budget provided significant tax incentives which have received scant coverage and these incentives will support all NAMA and commercial properties. These incentives include the writing-off of capital gains for commercial properties if purchased before the end of 2013 and if the property is retained for seven years. This will benefit investors and owners of commercial property and also NAMA.