Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

When we see the legislation, and I note the presence in the Chamber of a senior official of the Department of Finance, I will invite the Department to consider the following because it will be very interesting to see how the detail of that provision is written. It will be hard to impose and assess. I suggest the simple additional requirement to the legislation that any tax fugitives who wish to renew their passports, which are EU passports and are of great benefit, would have to do what a taxi driver seeking a licence has to do, namely, provide a tax clearance certificate. It is very simple and is used all the time by the Department of Finance for contractors trying to get jobs of one type or another.

I would like to discuss many other matters but time prevents me from doing so. The House will have to find a way of scrutinising in detail the impact of the damage that this budget will do to so many sectors of our economy. How that is to be done I do not know. Today's business was ordered in such a way that after the leaders of the various parties have spoken the debate will end and will not be resumed. That is an insult to every Deputy elected to the House and who has something to say from their experience and constituency. We will have to find time to bring Ministers before committees to explain how precisely matters will impact on the delivery of services.

There are alternatives put forward by this side of the House.

See this speech in context