Households across the State are faced with significant increases in the local property tax, LPT. Starting from 1 November there will be very significant increases in some areas. County Dublin and surrounding counties and large urban areas have seen huge increases in property prices. This will put a huge burden on people with very large mortgages and older people on low incomes, in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. The promise on the local property tax was that there would be improvement in local services. In truth, that never happened. Right across the State the Government gave with one hand but took with the other. People are handing out money for the local property tax but are not seeing an improvement in local service. Sinn Féin would scrap this unfair tax. If the Government will not do that - I do not need a debate on the local property tax - what will it do to protect people from these huge increases in the local property tax?

That money would have to be replaced from somewhere.

We set that out every year.

Yes, it is funny money; it is magical tree money.

No, it is not. Fianna Fáil blaming funny money is a bit rich.

The Government cannot stick to its promises.

Services can be seen. I have seen the correlation between proper application and ringfencing of local property tax revenue to services.

The Government took away roads funding and grant funding.

If you have a proactive council and public representatives, people will see the benefits of it. We are constantly being told that we need a broad revenue base to sustain public services. For example, this budget expanded public services very significantly, over and above what was a high base over the past number of years.

For people who cannot afford it.

There are challenges in certain areas but the bottom line is that for well over two decades now it has been advocated that we need a broader base in terms of raising tax.