Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour)

I always try to scrutinise the reputations of the proposers of Private Members' motions, regardless of which side of the House they come from. I did the same in this case, notwithstanding some of the content of this motion, with which I totally agree. I take this view of all Private Members' motions, whether they refer to bankers, developers or others.

One of the worst acts ever performed in this House was done on a September night in 2008, when some people rushed in here with sweat on their necks to bail out Anglo Irish Bank, the developers' bank. It is one of the ironies of Irish politics that some of the people who have the gall and hard neck to sign a motion relating to the behaviour of developers are the same people who came here to bail out Anglo Irish Bank.

One of the signatories of today's motion is a tax evader. I am referring to Deputy Mick Wallace. Whatever about going on morning radio programmes, to which I make it a discipline of not listening, tax compliant members of the State require some explanation of this. I have always been a PAYE taxpayer. Everyone in the State should pay tax according to their income and wealth. This is one of the reasons I support a wealth tax. When I see motions such as the one being discussed, where there is no explanation from someone who engages in tax evasion, I am appalled.

There are things in the Private Members' motion with which I agree. However, a number of speakers, yesterday and today, mentioned the need for the State to step in. The State is, of course, you and me, the taxpayers and the hard-pressed PAYE sector outside these Houses. In every situation we hear a call for them to bail out these characters who engaged in all sorts of corruption. I do not mean every developer and builder. There are good builders and developers just as there are bad politicians and decent ones. That is the way of the world.

I will be voting against the motion and with the Government amendment. We must stop the practice of expecting the PAYE sector to rush in and compensate people who did bad work and defrauded people. These people should not be bailed out by the PAYE sector. The State should take action and put them in jail rather than helping them out.

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