Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

I do not support Senator Coffey's amendments, although I know he addresses the same issues I raised in terms of the ability of the local authorities in their current configuration to collect this charge. On Second Stage, I made the point that local authorities may find it difficult to collect this charge bearing in mind it will be much easier to collect it for rental properties than for holiday homes, particularly if the owners are outside the jurisdiction.

If there is a need for employment of additional personnel, will this be granted by the Department or is there a mechanism in place given the embargo on public sector employment? I gave the figure of 8,000 holiday homes in Donegal. I am sure there will be a problem in terms of collection and the local authority may need to employ additional staff to do this. While it is not specified in the Bill, is the Minister disposed to this suggestion? It would alleviate some of my concerns.

The Minister referred to central administration and the website, which is a great idea, but it runs counter to what I want to see, namely, that local authorities would be able to raise their own funding. A standard flat rate is very easy to administer centrally and people should use the website to make their payment. The legislation allows for the reimbursement of town councils, which Senator Glynn raised, but there is also the issue of the expenses accrued by local authorities in the collection of the charge. In terms of the central administration of the website, how will the expenses incurred in collecting that money-----