Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

A debate on taxi regulation would be useful. Senator Norris has raised the anomaly of perfectly fine vehicles having to be struck off, as it were, for use as taxis. The national car test should address this issue, especially as it is permitted to grant limousine licences for vehicles that are much older than ten years. I concur with the Senator on that point.

In the light of certain matters raised in the media today in the context of a property tax, I ask for a full debate in the House on what measures Senators believe should be included in the budget in the context of the requirement to save €3 billion. It would be useful to have such a debate before the session concludes to enable Ministers and officials to reflect on the views of Senators and any innovative ideas they may propose on how to achieve the necessary savings. There can be no absolutes as to what can be included or excluded from the budgetary measures. I include in this the possibility of introducing a property tax. I was taken by the welcome words of Senators from Waterford on the role of their local authority in getting Waterford Glass up and running again. Would it not be wonderful if local authorities were properly resourced on a sustainable tax base, as Senator Boyle stated, such as that which was in place prior to 1997? This would enable them to mount their own capital programmes or provide grant schemes to assist companies to create employment. A debate on what measures Senators believe should be included in the forthcoming budget would allow the House to play a useful role on behalf of members of the public.