Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Finance (Local Property Tax)(Amendment) Bill will be rushed through the Dáil again. The original Bill was rushed through and during the Committee Stage of that Bill we only reached one item on which we could vote and all others fell. The proposal is that we deal with Second Stage next Friday with a guillotine imposed and then all remaining Stages on the following Tuesday. From the note provided to the Whips it is clear that this is to facilitate a bulk mailshot on 9 March by the Revenue Commissioners advising people how much they have to pay in this new tax. This is completely unacceptable. This is the Chamber that decides how we order business and not the Revenue Commissioners. We do not dance to anybody else's tune. We should have appropriate time to consider the implications of this amendment Bill. We should have time to discuss all the amendments that will be tabled by our party and other Members. I ask the Tánaiste to reconsider the scheduling to allow appropriate time.

Yesterday in Brussels agreement was reached on the two-pack which allows for greater surveillance by European institutions of budgets in Ireland and other member states. Will this agreement mean that Ireland will continue to be under the scrutiny of the ECB and European Commission even after we leave the bailout mechanism? Will the budget now be moved to the middle of October as a result of the agreement? Will legislation be required to implement the agreement reached in Brussels?

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