asked the Minister for Finance if he can state for the latest available financial year the annual amount paid by way of ground rents by property owners in the towns and cities of the Saorstát.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ground Rents in Cities and Towns.
I regret that the information for which the Deputy asks is not available.
In view of the fact that the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Industry and Commerce have from time to time asked if we had any alternative to offer to taxing the food of the people, namely, butter and tea, by which we would get increased revenue for the State, is not this a good alternative? Here is a method by which we can get an increase of revenue for the State if the Minister will only set up the necessary machinery to find out the sums collected by way of ground rents by property owners in this country. I would therefore ask if the Minister proposes to establish machinery to acquire the information I have asked for in my question, but to which he is unable to give any reply now? Would the Minister reconsider the matter?
In reply to Deputy Anthony's speech——
Not speech, but question.
——the information asked for could not be obtained without the examination of many thousands of income tax returns and several weeks', and, possibly, months', work on the part of the revenue officers would be involved and, even then, it is possible that after this examination of the returns the information obtained would not be accurate, owing to the fact that many of the returns would be incomplete. I think that at present the revenue officers could be much more profitably used in connection with revenue work and I do not propose to secure the returns asked for.
Would the Minister consider it worth this trouble in order to get the information? The Minister must be aware that a very large tribute is paid by way of ground rents in this country every year. I can easily develop that question.
Not now.
Is the Minister aware that a very large tribute is secured from the Irish people by way of ground rents and that this tribute is handicapping building and other useful activities in the State?
Might I ask if the Minister will inform the House whether these ground rents are already taxed and taxed heavily?