Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I assure the Minister that he has always received constructive suggestions from this side of the House. The leader of our party asked this morning for additional assistance and information regarding these matters before we can come to any conclusion. We will not have responsibility without power, and we will not have an input without information. The Minister cannot expect us to participate on that basis.

Would this not be a good time to dispose of the e-voting machines? This would result in a substantial saving. Nobody can understand why it is taking the Minister so long, after almost two years in office, to bite the bullet in this regard.

There has been a massive increase in applications for schemes such as housing aid for the elderly and housing adaptation grants since their introduction. Is it sustainable for the Department to continue these schemes without clearing the backlog? What proposals are there to clear that backlog? Finally, is the Minister in favour of introducing a property tax on principal private residences in the context of his proposals for the budget?

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