Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I can only describe this as a punitive tax. It is aimed at the many people who have either no or poor access to public transport services. It is aimed at small cars, engines under 2.5 litres, owned mainly by low-income families struggling to get to their place of work. They are probably thankful they still have a job and recognise they are under significant threat. No provision was made in the budget for dealing with public transport. The Minister, as Deputy Hogan said, has used smash and grab tactics to take money from low-income earners. It is disgraceful.

We all recognise that local government needs funding. It has not received proper funding since 1977 which has not been fixed by any Government since. An effort should have been made to correct that dearth of funding for local government, not putting it on the backs of those with small motor vehicles who use them to get to work.

The Green Party has abandoned rural Ireland and those in satellite towns around Dublin city who regard their cars as a necessity to get to work because of the disgraceful provision of public transport.

Whatever about the change on the road to Damascus, there was some scandalous change on the road to Government Buildings by the Green Party.

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