Jimmy Harte (Labour)

I endorse Senator John Whelan's comments on the household charge. There is a group encouraging people from the North, Britain, Germany, France, the United States and elsewhere to break the law in this country. I have never heard anyone in another country advising people from other jurisdictions to break the law in that country. It is probably symptomatic of the anti-everything campaign. I see it in Donegal all the time, where even a priest whom I will not name has urged parishioners, from the pulpit, not to pay the household charge. It is despicable that a member of the church would advise people who go to mass to receive religious guidance not to pay their taxes. The country should have a good look at itself.

In regard to the referendum on the European fiscal compact proposal, there is already misinformation by the No campaign. Members of that group should note that anybody who puts up posters in advance of the official commencement of the campaign will be guilty of breaking the law. We were all very conscious during the last general election that leaving a poster up seven days after it would leave us liable to a fine of €200. However, no action is being taken by local government to deal with this postering which was happening even before yesterday in respect of the household charge and so on.