Madam, - In the past Ireland has capitalised on a myriad of opportunities to generate growth: our geographical location, educated workforce, favourable corporation tax rates. We are now being faced with an entirely accidental opportunity: our population growth.
Uniquely in Europe, we continue to benefit from natural population growth. Our birth rate remains above the 2.1 children necessary for replacement, we continue to welcome back Irish people who migrated in the past and we also have a healthy number of immigrants seeking our high standard of living.
This population growth is one of our biggest advantages in the face of our declining competitiveness and must be harnessed for maximum benefit. But it is not being recognised as such and is in danger of being seen as simply another burden.
This has been shown recently in the tabloid hysteria over our decision to welcome workers from Eastern Europe and especially in relation to the added housing difficulties arising from our state's swelling numbers.
This is where the Government must take a proactive and visionary stance. It is already assured of a lasting political legacy due to far-sighted policies such as the smoking ban, the penalty points system and the prospect of public service decentralisation. This "outside-the-box" thinking must be extended to the housing debate.
A radical vision must replace the reactive, catch-up philosophy currently practised. We must set up a central, non-political, impartial body of planning experts, implement a revised spatial plan linked to decentralisation and, most controversially of all, bring in a new tax on land - as the National Economic and Social Council is shortly to recommend, according to a report by Cliff Taylor in your edition of last Friday.
A tax on the value of land as opposed to a council tax, stamp duty or a tax on business premises offers many advantages: It would encourage the relocation of businesses outside Dublin.
It is a relatively fair and progressive tax, as opposed to stamp duty, which merely discourages the mobility of capital and labour, flying in the face of economic wisdom. It offers an invaluable source of income to county councils to spend on local infrastructure.
Not least, it offers a form of income which cannot flee the country: after all our land won't move to Portugal to avoid paying tax! - Yours, etc.,
JOSEPH LAKE, Kilbrew, Ratoath, Co Meath.