Veteran broadcaster Gay Byrne claims the government could have second thoughts about introducing a property tax if it becomes worried about the backlash it might provoke. The RTE personality vigorously opposed a similar property tax in the 1990s and believes politicians this time around might think twice about the political repercussions of such a move.

"If there are any politicians who remember the uproar the last time and how it went badly wrong, they may put a brake on a property tax," the 75-year-old broadcaster said. "They realised a property tax was doing them enormous harm. If they introduce it again, they will find it's a similar situation."

Byrne's opposition to the property tax began on the Gay Byrne Show, the weekday radio programme he presented for 27 years on RTE radio. "We had letters from old and retired people all over the country who were living in reasonably good houses which they had bought 40 or 50 years beforehand. They had no control over the rise in property prices but were getting saddled with the tax. These people were certainly not earning the same money anymore and [were] on a low pension and I said it on the radio day after day – they were being taxed for just staying alive."

Byrne says that given the current slowdown in house sales, introducing a similar tax now would make even less sense.

"At the moment, there is no value you can put on anything, for the simple reason that whether it is a second-hand house or a bicycle, the value is what somebody standing in front of you is offering you. And if there is nobody making an offer, well the thing is not worth anything. It doesn't matter what sort of house you are living in, with very few exceptions, their worth is nothing."