Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

In signalling this review in respect of schemes that have a fixed termination date of 31 July 2006, is the Minister inviting a whole lobby group to start converging on him and Members of the House to try to extend the closing dates of relief schemes or has he made a definite decision that the closing dates mean the end of those schemes and that the review will not reopen them? There is some confusion about the Minister's intentions. He got plaudits, as did his predecessor, for announcing termination dates on schemes in an industry that has been working at fever pitch and is not in need of tax relief, as we heard today from a prominent developer in the southern region. Is the Minister opening the door again to a further extension of those dates or are they final, regardless of the review?

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