Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)

The process will begin as soon as the legislation is passed whereas under the Fine Gael proposal, it will not begin for a year. Such uncertainty cannot be tolerated. We may not have an economy in 12 months time if we do not set this process in train as soon as possible.

Deputies Durkan, Lee, Burton and others made valid points in regard to the risks associated with this plan. Nobody denies that such risks apply. It is akin to a Jehovah's Witness being told that his or her child requires a blood transfusion but there is nevertheless no guarantee the child's life will be saved. My party does not accept corporate donations and abhors the system of backslapping and the culture of corruption that has prevailed. We have reservations about the NAMA proposal. However, having searched our collective conscience within membership discussions, of which there will be more in due course, we realised that something must be done. Our membership recognises that NAMA with improvements is probably the least worst option. Many good people in our party have fed into the process of consultation in their efforts to improve the proposal.

The idea of an 80% windfall tax on rezoning was proposed in the Kenny report decades ago and will now finally be introduced within two years of the Green Party entering government.

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