Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I second Senator Twomey's proposal to amend the Order of Business regarding the pharmacy issue. I also add my voice in support of Senators Mullen and O'Reilly regarding the proposal to amend the Order of Business to discuss and debate REPS. I called for such a debate yesterday and would continue to so do, were the Seanad sitting every day. This is an extremely important matter for farmers and for rural Ireland and will have a massive negative impact both on the rural environment itself and on family farms and rural employment. This has been a good scheme in respect of the protection of the rural environment. Members should be discussing such issues of the day in this House and I ask the Leader to consider them seriously and to amend the Order of Business.

Later today, Members will be debating the Local Government (Charges) Bill. They will consider amendments made in the Dáil that had been debated and recommended in this House. All Senators who contributed to that debate may take a bow because such amendments were badly needed and now are being framed in legislation. Unfortunately however, some concerns were highlighted in this House with regard to the rental accommodation scheme, about which the legislation contains great inequalities and anomalies, in that rental accommodation scheme houses will be exempted from the proposed €200 annual charge. This is both unfair and an anomaly and is another reason legislation should not be rushed.

For example, Galway City Council has 6,000 houses under the rental accommodation scheme under a five-year secure contract that is worth €11,000 per annum to the landlords concerned, who are exempted from the charge. Consequently, like many other local authorities, Galway City Council will be deprived of income of which it should be availing. This is another anomaly that must be highlighted. At a Galway City Council meeting last Monday night, members from all sides expressed concerns and the strong view that houses registered under the rental accommodation scheme should not be exempted and Fine Gael agrees with this point. While it is a pity the legislation does not allow for it, this matter should be reviewed and Members should return to it at a later stage.