James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Finance to the House to debate the abolition of roll-over relief in respect of capital gains tax paid on compensation received by property owners following the compulsory acquisition of their lands. In many cases, the lands in question were taken against the will of property owners, who then had to reinvest to provide for their families. It is unfair to expect them to pay roll-over relief. The issue warrants a debate. I would also like the Minister to debate in the House stamp duty relief on land swaps. It is grossly unfair that farmers who wish to consolidate their holdings have to pay stamp duty on the double. In its pre-budget submission, the IFA has asked the Minister to examine this issue.

In the run-up to the last general election, we heard a great deal of thunder from the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, about the draining of the River Shannon and the establishment of a Shannon authority. Counties Roscommon, Longford, Westmeath and Offaly were severely hit by downpours of rain yesterday and last night. There have been many cases of serious flooding in the region over the past 50 years or more. When he was Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera promised to drain the Shannon. The Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, gave a commitment to establish a Shannon authority, but we have heard little about it since he became Minister of State with responsibility for that area. The Minister of State needs to come to the House as a matter of urgency to update Senators on his plans to bring all the parties which are interested in the Shannon together to try to develop a better system of management of the river system. Thousands of acres of land in the midlands are flooded when the Shannon breaches its banks, causing great inconvenience to farmers and the public in villages in close proximity to the river.