Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I object to the guillotine applying to Second Stage of the Finance Bill this evening. For the reason Deputy Burton highlighted, and others allied to it, the Government is only too delighted to see a guillotine apply, with less opportunity provided to Members to draw attention to and tease out the salient items in the Finance Bill and those that are not so. This is against the backdrop of the publication on Monday of the review of tax reliefs which saw €37 million having been given to private hospitals since 2001. We are hearing now of — the Bill intends to accommodate this — an extension of these reliefs to those who will provide private mental health care. Given the completely underfunded and under-resourced mental health care system and network throughout the State, it is bizarre that the Government will provide public moneys to support private care, which will allow a two-tier system of mental health provision.

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