Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I again thank the Senator for her contribution on this issue. I note the concerns she raised in her contributions. The Minister for Finance and his Department, however, are satisfied as to the constitutionality of the existing CAT legislation.

It should also be noted that contrary to the Senator's arguments, there are exemptions in place currently for CAT. This is the case where dwelling houses can be provided to individuals, in the context of people who have passed on, who have lived in the dwellings in question for a specific time before the inheritance and will continue to live in the houses for a specific period afterwards. There are, therefore, exemptions in place now.

There are no proposals at this time to make any changes to the existing arrangements to address the particular matters referred to. The Senator should also be aware that there would be a significant cost. Indeed, in budget 2025 we increased the thresholds across groups A and B to the tune of €88 million. We will continue to review it. Options are also available for setting CAT thresholds. This must be balanced against competing demands. As with all tax matters, the Department of Finance will consider the CAT exemption levels and related group thresholds throughout the process and will advise the Minister accordingly.