John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I want to add my voice to those of my Government colleagues who are opposing this legislation. I speak to highlight some of the inaccuracies I have heard, particularly in some of last night's debate, from the proposers of this legislation.

As Deputy Coffey pointed out, nobody in the Government wants a position where new charges or higher taxes must be paid, but the country finds itself in an unprecedented place. We have never been anywhere near this before and our Government is charged with taking serious decisions with a view to balancing the books and righting our economy. It was clear at the time of the election and subsequently that the memorandum of understanding entered into by the previous Government with the troika included the establishment of a property-based taxation system.

Sinn Féin and some of the Independent Members who spoke in support of this legislation are the only socialists I have met in the world who speak to oppose a tax on property. I am not a socialist, although I am not particularly happy about the prospect of imposing taxation such as this. Nevertheless, it is part of the legacy inherited by this Government and we will not be rewarded in future, as a Government, if we do not address the difficult position our economy is in. That is why I support my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, in introducing this particularly difficult legislation.

I agree with Deputy Coffey in his criticism of this notion - which seems to have become acceptable - that legislators would go around the country advocating the breaking of laws just because they argue that a specific law is unjust. If a political movement loses an argument, a vote in this House or an election, it does not mean it has the right to declare a law democratically enacted by a parliament as unjust. It does not bear examination to say this law is unjust. The Opposition has lost the argument on the need to balance the books in this economy and that is why this measure has been introduced.

In my part of the world, in south Kilkenny, the Sinn Féin Party is organising a series of public meetings in places it did not know existed until quite recently seeking extra funding for local services, which I find appalling. This is at a time when the party is calling on the public not to pay a tax which goes to providing those local services. It is crucial for the people who have paid this charge that those who have not yet contributed would be made do so. I have been struck by the number of members of the public who are not particularly happy about the household charge but who have paid it and who are adamant it should be collected from everybody. It is important this comes about.

See this speech in context