Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----but nothing has been done. We have no meaningful accountability from senior politicians, senior officials, regulators, Central Bank governors and bank chairman. What we did was to increase their wages and bend or broke the rules to allow this despite the promises made. Consider how the staff of the former Anglo Irish Bank and the IBRC have been treated. They are badly needed to help the receiver follow the money and the wrongs done, but they are in a bitter dispute because they were promised by the Government that they would be protected and looked after but, for a small amount of money in the overall scheme of things, they are being held up as scapegoats and denied reasonable respect for their valuable work and what they try to do as ordinary workers. They are not the top elite which ruined the country and went mad. Most of the banks must take responsibility also. They all followed the lead set by Anglo Irish Bank, although they stated they had to do so.

Serious concerns have been raised about the IFSC because we are seen abroad as a bandit country which does not hold accountability in high regard. Former politicians, governors, regulators and senior officials are swanning off, with some promoted to Europe to get them out of the way at all costs in case there would be an inquiry and answers would be needed. What else would we be seen as but a rag bag of a republic or a banana republic? This is why we had such a low turnout in the Meath East by-election and why we will continue to have low turnouts. People are sick and tired of politics and what we have allowed to happen after the men and women of 1916 and 1921 fought so hard for our independence. Their memory has been besmirched by the antics of what has happened here over the past 20 years, particularly over the past ten years. It is disgraceful.

Retail Ireland has stated rogue activity amounts to almost €1 billion annually. The Croke Park II agreement has been rejected, and rightly so in my opinion, because we were trying to crucify ordinary workers again for €300 million this year and €1 billion over three years, while almost €1 billion, and perhaps much more about which Retail Ireland knows nothing, has been siphoned off in the black economy. We let this go on. I do not know when I last met a customs official on the road. It is a pity the Minister for Justice and Equality is not here. These officials are not on the road any more because their staff numbers have been cut back. They do not have vehicles or resources. A blind eye is being turned to criminality, drug barons and money-laundering. Mention was made of Limerick and Dublin crime gangs. I compliment the Gada and the people of Limerick for how they have fought back and regained the good name of their city, which has been a proud place since Patrick Sarsfield's time. My town of Clonmel, the capital of south Tipperary and second biggest inland town in the country, operates on a shoestring with regard to Garda numbers and resources.

I welcome the officials coming to Dublin this weekend and I hope they give a strong message to the Government and official Ireland that all is not well here, that we are not playing ball and that the fight against crime is muffled, with one hand behind our back and one eye covered with a patch. This is what the Minister for Justice and Equality has done. Last night he made a correlation between the rejection of the Croke Park II agreement and recruiting more gardaí, which he promised a month ago and which his colleagues in Tipperary welcomed. The doors of Templemore were going to be opened again and everything was going to be fine.

We know how long it takes, however, and the figure is now down to 13,200. We know the basic required level is 13,000. It is wrong to say that it is because of the failure to ratify the Croke Park II agreement. Last week, another Minister threatened a 7% pay cut. It is Government by diktat and bullying. That is all going on while gardaí do not have the resources or numbers. Above all, they do not have the respect, co-operation or support of the Minister for Justice and Equality. Thankfully, someone spoke to the Minister in the last ten days at a senior level in Government and made him change his ways on recruitment and basic civility between An Garda Síochána and himself. Some long-awaited promotions were carried out which were required to fill vacancies created by people who had left. How can we fight crime or support legislation such as the Bill before us when morale is at an all time low in An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces?

Army battalions are being disbanded while barracks are being closed. Clonmel had an army presence for 350 years, yet the lovely barrack buildings are now going to rack and ruin, all in the interest of cuts. I do not know what vested interests the Minister seems to have. I have already questioned how he can be Minister for Justice and Equality and Minister for Defence. Is there a constitutional issue there? I do not have the expertise to decide on that, but a little more respect would go a long way.

The banks and a handful of big business people ruined this country, yet none of them has been arraigned. I have been a small businessman for 32 years and I have always known that if one falsifies accounts in any way, for example, by moving money, even €500, between accounts to mislead accountants, it is a simple, naked crime. I cannot understand, therefore, how it can take the fraud squad, or whoever else is dealing with it in the Department of Justice and Equality, until now to prosecute people or bring them before the courts for basic fraud and fooling the accountants. The latter sign off on figures that are provided by self-employed people.

That must be contrasted with ordinary business people, including small farmers and sole traders, around the country who are being persecuted by Revenue and sheriffs. On Monday night, I attended a suicide awareness meeting in a packed hotel in Clonmel. The county coroner spoke and in the past he has referred at inquests to State terrorism. We must tackle that first, alongside tackling the other terrorism, which I totally abhor. We must sympathise with the people of Boston this week. We do not yet know what happened near Waco in Texas, but it is so sad to see anything like that.

The State cannot tackle terrorism on the one hand while allowing it on the other hand. How can Revenue be allowed to charge 1.25% interest per month, which is 15% annually, on people whom its decides owe it tax? I am not saying that anybody should get away with a penny of unpaid tax, but Revenue has a merciless approach. I have been speaking to Revenue officials today about a case in County Limerick where sheriffs have visited a family and devastated a business that existed for 35 years. When I attempted to intervene and deal with Revenue officials, they accepted my good offices but said the business had to come up with €15,000 by 5 p.m. tomorrow or else the sheriff would be back. The Revenue Commissioners do not have a clue what is going on in Ireland, especially in the agricultural sector, or any other economic area. The fields are barren and as bare as the Dáil benches. We had a terrible year in 2012, followed by a long winter and a horrible spring. Traders cannot get paid for their work and staff wages cannot be paid either, even though these people are making an effort to deal with Revenue. However, those who give Revenue the two fingers are not arraigned at all, despite threatening and intimidating officials.

This Bill also needs to rein in overly ambitious sheriffs using bully-boy tactics under outdated legislation. To be fair to gardaí, they do not understand the situation. They think that when a sheriff comes with a warrant, which was not even signed in the case I am talking about, everything is all right. This situation must be dealt with because we are draining the lifeblood out of our recovering economy. It will kill the entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses, including farmers, sole traders, shopkeepers and self-employed tradesmen.

We have been talking about the Construction Contracts Bill for three years, thanks to Senator Feargal Quinn, but it is still not in operation. That is because big companies do not want to be wound up. They have the power and are supported by the State, the Construction Industry Federation and all the other big business organisations. As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark", but it is rotten in this country too, given that we have allowed these unbelievable tactics by big business and bankers. In addition, organs of the State are persecuting people and every letter they get threatens a jail term, yet the authorities cannot put in jail those who should be imprisoned, or even bring them before the courts. They will not be touched and it stinks to high heaven. Such people were protected by the previous Administration and, consequently, are also being protected by this Administration. It is time we woke up and smelled the coffee because people will not stand for this.

I appeal for someone to examine how Revenue can charge 1.25% monthly on outstanding invoices, as well as sending the sheriff with a notice, plus his charges. They can put seized machinery on sale at an auction in Dublin with no VAT advertised on the website. I have asked Revenue to explain how these machines, which are seized on foot of a warrant, can be sold off for half nothing. Huge charges are incurred by Revenue with rogue people employed to collect these machines. They are nothing more than bandits creating misery from people's sweat and blood. They can then advertise the seized assets on websites with no VAT. Anyone in business earning over €14,000 per annum must be registered for VAT, so how can Revenue sell these machines without VAT? Does this have implications for the overall settlement by unfortunate businessmen with Revenue? It must have because there is no VAT.

We must examine our own house first. It is a pity the Minister for Justice and Equality has left the Chamber. As Deputy Ross said, it is also a pity that this has been put in flowery language to try to cover up our inadequacies. We cannot carry on this cover-up for much longer, however. We have been found out by Europe and elsewhere internationally. The IMF knew we could not pursue the austerity policy and they have told us so now. This has been laid bare. We have a cosy cartel and a cover-up while crucifying and screwing the poor and ordinary people to allow for the downright sins and blackguardism of the 100 people, or fewer, who brought this country to its knees. Meanwhile, they continue unhindered and have not been brought before the courts. I will not say they have been found guilty because that is up to the courts, but we all know it is the biggest cover-up that ever went on in any country. The sooner it is exposed the better.

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