Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Technical Group Members for allowing me some of their time. I have studied the speech the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, delivered to this House on 24 April, and what he insinuated was quite disgraceful. He is accusing a lot of people of being criminals in that they purposely took holidays from paying motor tax. By association, he has also accused members of An Garda Síochána of being complicit in a practice of allowing people to get away with not taxing their cars. The gardaí are under enough attack at present from the Government and are being badly let down by the Government.

The Minister of State's entire speech was very wrong. He stated that it is not intended to provide for refunds of tax where arrears straddle a rate increase, in view of the difficulties of repaying a large volume of very small amounts. The Minister of State is referring to sums of €10, €20 or €50. He should remember, however, that struggling families may only have €20, €30. €40 or €50 to survive on every week after taking out other expenses. On the one hand, the Government is telling people to button up and manage with what they have. At the same time, however, the Minister of State is saying that if the State owes them money, they can whistle for their ducks, suck their thumbs or bite their lips because they will not be refunded the money. That is a disgrace.

If a person owes money for property tax or anything else, they are expected to pay every penny. However, the Minister of State is saying that although people may be owed €10, €20 or €50, they will not get a refund. The sum of €217 is the maximum but even that will not be refunded. Surely to God some allowance can be made in this respect. I appreciate the Minister of State's point that a sum of €10 perhaps cannot be sent out, but if it was owed to the State he would seek it. Surely a system could be put in place whereby when a person is re-taxing their vehicle, they could get a rebate of the amount overpaid to the State. That makes sense so I cannot see why the Minister of State would not do it.

Since the Road Safety Authority has taken over issuing driving licences, one cannot get a licence now in County Kerry. I can only speak for my own county where there is a three, four or five-week wait for such documents. When one rings up, the phone is not answered, although that is not the fault of those staffing the offices in Tralee. The people who were there should have been left alone because they were providing an excellent service. One could walk in and get a licence, and if there was a query, one could ring them up. One could deal directly with them, but not since everything has been centralised.

The Government centralised the medical card system and made a mess of it and is now making a mess of this issue. It made a mess of the SUSI grants although the system in place was working fine. All common sense has gone out the window since the Government got into power with its massive majority. It has made a bags of everything it has put its hands on. A carbon tax, which takes effect from today, will rob the elderly of the opportunity to have a little fire in their houses. Is anybody making any apology for it? This day next year it will impose a further increase. It was done in a cute conniving way on May Day. Surely, if there is any God in heaven we will get some good weather and people will not have to purchase as much fuel. However, when they go to purchase fuel at the end of September or October, they will find that the Minister and his famous Government have heaped a carbon tax on them.

An issue that has been ignored is those people who are trying to work. I am aware of a case the other day of a person who wished to tax his lorry which had been idle for the past 12 months. He got work for a couple of months and instead of being able to tax the lorry month by month, he had to produce €800 to tax it for three months. That is not fair to an honest man who had a lorry parked alongside his house and who wanted to get a couple of weeks pay to see whether he could get going again. However, the first obstacle for him is to tax his lorry for three months. He is also penalised for taxing his vehicle for a shorter period by having to pay an increased amount. This is the Government that is blowing about trying to get people back to work. Where is the incentive for a person to go back to work when he or she is hit in that way? In respect of vehicles that incur a large tax, surely it would make sense to introduce a four week system for payment of tax.

The Bill provides for a fine of €4,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months if a person is found guilty. The Government cannot jail the bankers or robbers, it cannot catch the drug dealers or provide proper vehicles for the Garda Síochána, but it can pursue the ordinary citizen for a €4,000 fine or six months in prison. An honest person in this country can be put in prison for six months but anybody else can do whatever one wishes.

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