John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

The Deputy's party applied the same regulations, something which has been overlooked in much of the related commentary. Successive Governments have applied them. There should be supporting documentation which can include but is not limited to certain items. This is what is stated very clearly in the circular. I refer to the circular of 2005 which mentions evidence of registration for VAT, a tax clearance certificate, a commercial insurance certificate and a copy of the applicant's notice of tax registration form. This is one of those issues that, unfortunately, took hold in the silly season in August, but there was no substance to it. The position remains exactly the same. However, it is clear that in order to save money some individuals were abusing the system. I do not believe the Deputy would agree with this. If a person is abusing the system, it means somebody else has to pay more money, which is wrong.

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