Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)

The contributions from Sinn Féin are always heavy on analysis, I will give Deputy Stanley that, but are deficient in real solutions. A new and open approach to the budgetary process will expose the fact, whether they accept it or not, that the Sinn Féin emperor has no clothes when it comes to the real budgetary process in this country.

There is, as I stated earlier, much in this Bill of which we and the Government can be proud. The new measures for those who bought their homes between 2004 and the end of 2008 are welcome. The changes to the domicile levy removing the citizenship requirement are also to be welcomed. This is an element of taxation policy that needed reform that has received an amount of reform and it is scandalous that last year only €1.5 million was raised this way. While the new measures contained in the Bill are to be welcomed, in terms of the yield it is probably too early to say what we can anticipate might be generated but it is important that we keep a close eye on it.

In my constituency of Louth, the provisions in the Bill designed to assist the Revenue Commissioners to clamp down on the activities of illegal fuel laundering will be welcomed by legitimate forecourt operators whose business is haemorrhaging as a result of criminally inspired fuel rackets that are particularly pronounced in the Border area. This is costing jobs, costing millions of euro to the hard pressed Exchequer in lost revenue and causing environmental havoc, much to the cost of Louth County Council and other local authorities across the country. I am pleased that the legislation supports the excellent work of Revenue, operating in a hostile environment in many cases, in its work to crack down on the laundering trade.

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