Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

Is the Government sure it has not been eating magic mushrooms? It is delirious, delusional and hallucinating. It does not know what the people are thinking. They should come up close and ask the questions because the people will tell them very quickly.

I note the new rules governing the right of Revenue to make inquiries and this is to be welcomed. I participated in the DIRT inquiry and I appreciate the importance of such legislation. The lack of legislation is not always the cause of failure to detect. Countless cases were dealt with during that time and it was not necessary to introduce any legislation but it was clear to all that the rules had been broken several times over, at will, and yet nothing had been done. It is not sufficient to simply state that more legislation and more controls will be introduced. I agree that some controls are necessary and I would expect these controls to be exercised.

In a recent reply to a Dáil question, I was informed that €7.3 million was taken in armed robberies in ten months during 2005 and a total of €38,000 was recovered. This is a very poor show. It is important that the resources of the State be used to detect where such moneys are going. There is far too much organised crime, far too much talk about it and far too much talk about introducing more legislation coming from the other side of the House but far too little action in dealing with it.

I agree that tax concessions are desirable and can be used positively. In some towns and villages the urban renewal schemes fell apart and never materialised because a deadline was not imposed on their use. Potential investors thought the schemes would remain unchanged in the future.

I cannot understand the reason that at a time when there were tax concessions and allowances for everything and at a time when we could not produce enough houses for people who were eligible for social or affordable housing, it was not possible to produce a scheme to give tax relief to those willing, ready and prepared to build houses for them. I rest my case.

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