Speaking on Kildare Today, Kildare North Social Democrats TD said there could be important cultural items in Kildare that the public are not even aware of despite the owners potentially benefiting from a tax break.
A tax relief scheme designed to protect important cultural items is allowing wealthy collectors to avoid paying large amounts of tax.
The scheme provides tax exemptions on art and heritage objects, on the condition they are made available for the public to view.
However, there is currently no central database showing where these items are or how people can access them.
Officials say the scheme has helped preserve valuable cultural assets, but critics argue it lacks transparency and mainly benefits high-net-worth individuals.
Speaking on Kildare Today, Kildare North Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly said there could be important cultural items in Kildare that the public are not even aware of despite the owners potentially benefitting from a tax break.
He said over €12.6 million has been written off in tax under the scheme but no record of the assets is publicly available.
He said it is vital that a database exists and is easily accessible to the public - something he said he will continue to push for.
Deputy Farrelly said a database exists in the UK that provides clear information on what is available to the public as a result of such tax write-offs.
He added that because the tax is self-assessed, it puts the onus on the owner of the assets to comply with legislation.
This means taking out advertisements to inform the public of what is available to view.
But it is unclear what level of compliance exists among owners of such cultural assets because the data is not being provided.
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