People are angry enough with the decision of the Government to double the property tax in 2014. Many people face bills of on average €400 and many face bills of €600 and beyond. People became even more angry and annoyed with the letters that issued from Revenue last week in respect of the method of paying the property tax. Essentially, those who wish to pay by debit card or credit card will have to pay four months earlier and must pay the 2014 property tax in 2013. Notwithstanding the anger of people, it will have an impact on a fragile domestic economy, coming into the critical period of Christmas time when spending power is everything and consumer sentiment is so important.
The response of the Government has been incoherent and almost split down the middle. The Labour Party has taken a stance of calling in the Revenue and the Tánaiste saying it should change its policy. The Taoiseach has stood firm, while the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, is nonplussed and cannot understand what Revenue is at. The Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance have supported Revenue. The reason is that the Taoiseach said the Government sets policy and the Revenue implements it. The Taoiseach is correct in that respect. The legislative template, in the form of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act, gave the framework for Revenue to issue letters in respect of credit and debit cards. The policy is wrong because the legislation was rushed. It was rammed through the Dáil with no time for people to tease out issues in the Bill or table amendments. It is a good example of why the Government should not have rushed through the legislation, given the lack of a deadline.
The questions I have to put to the Taoiseach are as follows. Will the Taoiseach clarify for me whether he, the Minister for Finance or the Department of Finance were aware that these letters were to be issued by Revenue?
Second, does he agree that those who wish to pay by credit or debit card should be able to do so in 2014 and does he agree to bring forward an amendment to the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012? If the Labour Party believes that the policy is wrong and that those who are obliged to pay a bill for 2014 should not be required to pay that in 2013, the Government can table an amendment to section 12(1) of the Act to ensure that Revenue not require any person to make payment prior to 1 January of the year following the liability date regardless of the payment method that he or she chooses. It is simple and straightforward. Would the Taoiseach agree to such an amendment which would clarify this, once and for all, and put the policy framework right?
