Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)

Last week I asked the Tánaiste to ensure that there would be no guillotine on Committee Stage or on Report Stage of the Finance Bill, a Bill that is technical and heavy in detail and one that will impact hard on the ordinary people across the State.

The Tánaiste has suggested that the House agree to a guillotine on all sections of Committee Stage of this Bill. If one looks deeper at what is in the Bill, the first group, sections 1 to 17, includes probably the most controversial sections which allow for SARP, the tax write-down for those who will come in here from abroad, and other issues such as the pensions. It deals with the universal social charge and many other issues. In that group of sections, to which the Government is allocating three hours, there are 76 amendments tabled for Committee Stage. There are three hours for 76 amendments and yet for all the other sections, which make up 14.5 hours of debate, there are only 41 amendments tabled. This is a typical ploy, used by Government time and again, where the most controversial issues are guillotined. It is completely unfair and makes no sense that three hours would be given to debate 76 amendments and 14.5 hours to debate 41 amendments. I ask the Tánaiste to withdraw this motion to allow the Select Sub-Committee on Finance, which meets at 2 o'clock, to discuss how best to deal with this legislation in Committee. If the Government truly values having proper participation on all Stages of this legislation, it will lift the guillotine and lift this motion.

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