Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

I am not sure about this recommendation. The situation could be abused. To borrow Fine Gael's own line, the money should follow the patient. I look forward to the debate, however, because some GPs are making huge profits from tax reliefs and we should target the reliefs properly.

We see businesses and community and voluntary groups fund-raising locally for much needed equipment in the public health system. They donate CAT scanners and other equipment to hospitals throughout the State only to find they must pay the State money through VAT. This must be addressed in this Finance Bill and perhaps an amendment in this section would deal with that. The VAT payment causes a lot of anger for those community groups or groups of workers who participate in voluntary fund to raise money for equipment that the Government has neglected to buy because it has not invested properly in the public health system. On top of raising the money, people find they must pay the State for doing it. No one who donates money to a local group campaigning for equipment wants to see 21% of the money going to the State for other purposes.