Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The previous Minister for Finance made only passing remarks about the agriculture industry, which is in stark contrast to what the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, has done since he went into Government.

Not to leave Fianna Fáil out on its own, its future, or potential, coalition partners have some right little ditties for the farming community, including a land tax. I have not heard it mentioned for a long time. Perhaps Deputy Martin Ferris will tell us about it. Will it be in Deputy Mary Lou McDonald's proposals tomorrow when she finally reveals what Sinn Féin has in store for us by way of a budget? Will the land tax proposal, which Sinn Féin proposed, be included?

In a previous debate, Sinn Féin referred to unworked farm assets. In my part of west Limerick, an unworked farm asset is bad land, and Deputy Ó Cuív will know a lot about that coming from the west as well as about severely handicapped land. Deputy Martin Ferris and his party want to tax it. This is a great opportunity to discuss what is happening in agriculture.

I wish the Minister well in his negotiations with the Department of Finance. He has delivered up to now and I have no doubt he will deliver next week as well.

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