Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As an aside, the Taoiseach might explain all of that to the Tánaiste and to the Chairman to the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Ciarán Lynch, who, on his own bat, went off and stated he was hauling in the Revenue because something terrible had happened and something needed to change. Likewise, the Tánaiste said the same. That incoherence has been at the heart of Government on this topic. Would the Taoiseach explain it to the Tánaiste in the first instance?

There is an issue here in terms of payment method. That is the core of the point. If one pays by debit or credit card, one will be paying this year and one will be penalised for choosing that particular method of payment. There was no basis for that.

Simply, the Government can amend the legislation, if the Tánaiste is serious. There is no point in dragging in the chairman of the Revenue before a committee and having an optical exercise showing how the Government is great in fighting on behalf of the people when the answer lies in the Tánaiste's hands in terms of amending the legislation by stating that Revenue shall not require anyone to pay the property tax in 2013 by virtue of the particular payment method that he or she adopts.

There is an important reason for this, which is that the domestic economy is still fragile and needs maximum consumer spend coming into Christmas. The reality is the Government is taking more money out of the economy as a result of this than is necessary at this particular point in time.

The Taoiseach did not answer the first question I asked. Were he and the Minister aware that these letters were issuing last week?

See this speech in context