Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

It was put to the Taoiseach that he should not proceed with the decisions in the budget measures in April regarding the Christmas payment to social welfare recipients and pensioners. I reiterate that proposal. Following on that, is it intended to have a social welfare Bill following the budget? If so, is the Bill likely to be presented before the Christmas recess? Is the Taoiseach in a position to indicate whether there will be one or more social welfare Bills and, if so, whether he intends to have them passed before the Christmas recess?

I note from the revised programme for Government that it promises to reform residency rules to ensure that those who benefit from living in Ireland are subject to taxation in Ireland. This commitment is clearly aimed at the very well-off, the super rich who make little or no contribution to taxation in this State. Is the relevant legislation under preparation? How soon is it expected to come before the Houses of the Oireachtas? Will the measures form part of the finance Bill which will follow the budget? I ask the Taoiseach to give the House a sense of how he intends to introduce the measures indicated in the revised programme for Government.

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