I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that a precise breakdown of the housing stock by range of market values is not feasible without a comprehensive nationwide valuation survey. In the absence of such an exercise the estimation of the number of houses within various value ranges must draw on available data which is, in general, of a limited nature. The principal source of information available is the data from the ESRI survey of income distribution, poverty and usage of state services. This was a nationwide survey of more than 3,000 houses, undertaken in 1987. The results drawn from this survey have been updated to reflect movement in house prices since 1987. The resulting data is, of course, supplemented by experience of the operation of the residential property tax scheme.
The estimates in relation to house value requested by the Deputy are as follows: the estimated number of houses worth in excess of £75,000 is 60,000, and the estimated number of houses worth in excess of £100,000 is 18,000.
In relation to household income I am informed that statistics are not recorded in such a manner as would allow for a firm estimate of the number of households with income above £25,000.
While the number of houses worth in excess of £75,000 is estimated at 60,000 it is assumed that over 50 per cent of this number will qualify for income exemption. This assumption is founded upon the practical experience of the Revenue Commissioners in administering the tax and borne out by compliance mechanisms such as the tax clearance procedure. On this basis it is estimated that the number of households with a property value in excess of £75,000 and a household income of £25,000 or over is 28,000.