Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not require Ms Feehily to respond to this but it is worth reminding Members who voted for this legislation that they are the ones who inserted a due date or liability date of 1 November. They are also the ones who put in a return date of 7 November and a payment date on or before 1 January, which is a bank holiday and the seventh day of Christmas. That is what has happened here. It has been legislated for and in my opinion the Revenue Commissioners are doing a reasonably good job in putting this tax together. While there has been some confusion over the last week, when anyone has come to my office, that confusion has been dealt with relatively easily. It is our duty to help. It is the duty of Government Deputies to help instead of just attacking others. It is a pretty disgraceful way to treat public servants in the one institution that has come out fairly well in recent years in this country. We do not always agree with the Revenue Commissioners and tax collectors have never been in exalted positions in society. The commissioners would accept that they are not the most popular people but they have a job to do, given to them by us. It is that simple. If there are problems we ask them to address them and should not blame them for bringing in this hated property tax, to which I am opposed. The Government introduced it and we need to remind people of that and stop blaming the Revenue Commissioners