Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I see that the Minister for Finance, tá sé imithe. With his first budget he had plenty of money and heaps of opportunities but he failed. He kow-towed to the big people again, the big business. Let us take the situation where a kite was flown about the 20% stamp duty on the conglomerate buying up houses. The Government puts it up 5%. I and the Rural Independent Group wrote in our submission that we wanted a 50% rate because four in every ten houses are being gobbled up by these conglomerates.

There was no limit then at all before the budget or in this budget either for the number of apartments that can be bought. There are these vultures from overseas, cuckoo funds and God knows what. The Government then talks about building houses on the other hand. How can we have houses for young people when we have that kind of carry-on and when the Government will not tackle these people?

It will not tackle the beef barons, the big conglomerates buying up every inch of County Tipperary and everywhere else as well, where they are paying €38,000 an acre to farmers. The Government is crucifying farmers giving them no supports and ruining their inheritance with the inheritance Act. As Deputy Healy-Rae said, land is not something that farmers dispose of. Most farmers want to hand it on as a working farm. They are not working for fun there. They are producing food to keep food on the tables, to export food and to supply the best and cleanest food all over the world. The Government is completely out of touch and out of sync. It is in power too long as I know too well. At one time it used to be Fianna Fáil in power for too long and then Fine Gael. Deputy Michael Ring said that the Government was far left for too long and now the Government does not know whether it is left, right or centre or what it is. Now we have Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael together and they are trying to create a row now that would cause some sort of rift where they would have an excuse to go to the country and canvas. They would say that I am Fianna Fáil and that the next person is Fine Gael. They are wearing the same shoes. It is the same pair of shoes with one on each leg. There is one on the leg of the Minister for Finance and the other for the leg of the Minister for public expenditure.

Meanwhile, public expenditure is gone crazy, totally crazy, with waste. We had the budget last week and this Bill today, and a shortened one at that. What is happening? Some €1 billion yesterday was sought in a Supplementary Estimate. We had a whole budget read out to us on the news ten days before the budget was delivered here. A week later we are blocking holes in the HSE and every place else with an expenditure of €1 billion. The Government is playing games with the people. The people, thanks be to God, are educated and smart, and will not be fooled. They understand what the Government is trying to do. That is an area which was crying out to be done and was being being crippled with VAT.

Another area the Government did nothing for were carers regarding the means test. Why does the Government not put a tax on all of the hoteliers, who are not even hoteliers. Some of them are but some are just greedy people who are providing accommodation for International Protection Accommodation Service, IPAS, centres and for Ukrainians and who are getting a fortune. Why does the Government not charge 13% VAT on that? It would be able to bring in a couple of million euros very handy. It is making millionaires out of greedy people out there. All they want is money and it is not compassion for Ukrainians or the IPAS people but it is just for their póca, for their pockets. Greed has taken over and it is not compassion.

We were always known as a compassionate country. We went all over the world with our missionaries, priests, nuns and lay people, and gave help. Now the greedy people have moved in. We will provide for them. Most of them are friends of Fianna Fáil, of Fine Gael and friends of some powerful Independent Deputies in here as well. It is immoral, disgusting and is not right. Why does the Government not put 13% VAT on those instead of giving money for jam? Some of the conditions that some of these people are being housed in are quite simply appalling. We have a place in Dundrum where they do not even have fire safety certificates and the Government is happy for people in there, men, women and children, but mainly women and children. This is a place with no fire certificate and no regulations. It is shocking.

See this speech in context