Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)

Ar Rúin Airgeadais 20, 21 agus 22, iarraim ar an Aire na faoisimh cánach atá ar fáil faoi alt 23 a shoiléiriú. Nuair a bhí mé ag éisteacht leis an Aire Airgeadais níos luaithe, dúirt sé go gcuirfí deireadh leis na faoisimh seo i 2014. Ag amharc ar na sonraí, áfach, tá sé soiléir go mbeidh cuid dóibh ar fáil go dtí 2021. Iarraim ar an Aire é sin a shoiléiriú. Níl dabht ar bith go bhfuilimid ag bogadh sa treo ceart. Tá mo phairtí ag rá le fada an lá gur cheart dúinn deireadh a chur leis na faoisimh seo. Is mór an trua gur ghlac sé an oiread ama seo don Rialtas tús a chur leis an bpróiseas sin.

Ba mhaith liom cuid de na pointí atá déanta agam a shoiléiriú i mBéarla. I note in this speech earlier today the Minister for Finance, on the property based reliefs, stated, "This last provision will effectively terminate all property-based reliefs in 2014." He went on to state that all details are set out in the Summary of Budget Measures. When one looks at the Summary of Budget Measures, it does not seem that all those property reliefs will be finished in 2014. If we look at the section 23 reliefs for properties that have yet to be sold, what is being proposed here is that the ten year qualifying period for unsold properties will kick-start on 30 June 2011, regardless of them being sold. Therefore, the summary continues, "in such cases no Section 23 relief will be available after 30 June 2021." Is it the case that section 23 reliefs will still be made available to people ten years from now, and further than that, up to 30 June 2021? How does that correspond with the Minister's statement today that this will effectively terminate all property based reliefs in 2014? That takes me to the second point. Why are we looking at 2014 for the guillotine? Why can we not introduce the guillotine earlier?

Even in the case of the section 23 properties that are not sold, why are we starting the effective ten year period on 30 June 2011? Why are we not starting it tonight, next week or in January? Why are we giving that additional six month period? Are we serious about phasing out these reliefs? What are the blocks here? Are there legal blocks to stop us introducing the guillotine earlier? Can we not phase out these reliefs any quicker?

These people gambled on property. I disagree fundamentally with one of the previous speakers, Deputy O'Donoghue, when he spoke about fuelling the construction sector. We want to fuel the construction sector. That is why we are arguing to build schools, hospitals and roads, but we will not start building property again to lie idle and then provide reliefs for the next ten or 11 years on the back of which persons may claim tax exemptions. I seek clarification on those points.

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