Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes, in the past. Look what happened. The Deputy knows I cannot say there will be a particular tax rate or change for one group of counties and not for others. I simply cannot make taxation, particularly taxation related to the creation of income and employment, county specific because every neighbouring county would quickly claim it wanted the same arrangement and that it was being penalised. The dominoes would begin to fall. What we can do is prioritise expenditure, and that is what we are doing. We are prioritising the need for a fair and effective transition for the workers the Deputy represents who are now losing their jobs. It is far more effective for us to be prioritising the use of resources through expenditure. We can control and target that. The Deputy will be aware of our thinking on how we propose to upgrade the energy efficiency of homes in the midlands, particularly local authority homes. I am sure the Deputy will play a part in influencing it. He will be aware of the work and thinking on what can be done with the peat plants that may no longer be used in the way they have been. The Deputy is a former Minister, not to mention a public representative for the area in question, so he will be aware of the expenditure-related work that is under way to make progress on all these matters. The communities he represents will play a role in influencing what we are seeking to do in the area. I cannot even pretend that we are going to have tax measures that will relate to particular counties. I have many other colleagues in the Oireachtas representing constituencies they know they will soon face the challenges faced by Deputy Naughten. If I were to make tax policies specific to the Deputy's county, I would be in an untenable position. All my Oireachtas colleagues would seek the same for theirs. I understand the Deputy's desire to prioritise investment and change in particular parts of the country, including his, but I hope he can see the case for doing so through expenditure rather than tax measures.