Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I agree that this Bill has been wrongly named. It should be entitled the appropriation Bill, to appropriate money to write down debt. The linking of motor taxation to car emissions was a positive development. It encouraged people to buy cars of greater value to the environment and society and eased the burden on them in terms of taxation of such vehicles.

The Government amendment introduced on Committee Stage shows the real purpose of this legislation and the Government's proposed use of moneys from motor taxation into the future. It is proposed that €150 million will be taken from motor taxation receipts this year and put towards writing down our national debt. Last year, €46.5 million was taken from motor tax receipts and used for this purpose. This illustrates the mockery of the entire Government process. It is now proposed that money previously collected through motor tax and ring-fenced for local government will be stripped from the Local Government Fund and replaced with funding from the property tax, which will bring no additional benefits to local authorities. The €150 million to be taken this year is only the thin edge of the wedge. We will see in future years more funding being taken from motor taxation receipts and local authority funding being bridged by receipts from the local property tax, with no additional benefit to local authorities or services, which will continue to be put under threat. This will also lead to further deterioration of our roads. This Bill should be opposed on the basis that funding is being taken from motor taxation receipts and used to write down national debt, which is disgraceful.

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