Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

I rise to support Deputy Burton. We are within hours of the implementation of this change and there is total confusion as to what exactly is happening. We are told that 500,000 people who have continuing entitlement or likely continuing entitlement to the mortgage relief will lose it tomorrow, simply because the Minister and his advisers did not anticipate the impact of the change they announced on 7 April. We were warned months in advance by Ministers and spokespersons for the Revenue that when the income tax code is changed in mid-year, there will be difficulties. The Minister had ample time to anticipate those difficulties and make sure that the sort of fiasco we have today would not happen. This is an indication of failure on the part of Government. We have seen far too often this Minister and his colleagues announce initiatives, then find they cannot implement them. This is just one more in a long series of such failures.

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