Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Minister of State to allow me to speak.

Despite the best attempt of the British Government to bully the Assembly into imposing water charges, the Sinn Féin Minister for Regional Development, Mr. Conor Murphy, MLA|, ensured that no charges were introduced. I feel obliged to set the record straight on the Government's mischief-making and lies on the issue of rates, charges and stealth taxes. Its tactics have nothing to do with informing debate but are simply an attack on Sinn Féin in an effort to undermine its support. The Minister of State, who has been a Member of this House for a long time and understands how government works, knows that the Assembly has no fiscal powers and as such cannot increase or decrease taxes. Taxation is the preserve of Westminster. Sinn Féin wants fiscal independence from London. If Fine Gael or the Labour Party can do anything to assist us in this regard we would appreciate it.

People in the North pay rates based on the valuation of their homes, which funding is used to meet the cost of local and regional services, which is not dissimilar to the rates which previously existed in this jurisdiction but for reasons of political expediency were abolished in 1977 by Fianna Fáil. Crucially, those exempted from payment of rates in the North include people in receipt of the disabled person's allowance, people on low incomes, people in receipt of housing benefit, pensioners and zero and low carbon homes. This Government has made no provision for similar groups here. This will all happen at one remove from Government. If the Minister of State and I are still Members of this House in one or two year's time and I ask questions of him about water issues he will tell me they are a matter for Irish Water.

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