While all the attention has focused on the new homes and rental market, one real damper on sales has been the staggering 9 per cent stamp duty on houses costing over £500,000 (€634,869). This has stopped mobility in the mid-market where home owners are staying put rather than give the Government a whopping fee for the pleasure of trading up. There have been some mutterings that this will be reviewed because of the fall-off in stamp duty revenue. Surely it's time to bring this tax more in line with our neighbours in the UK, where the top rate of stamp duty is 4 per cent.