Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I too support Senator Regan's recommendation, and my colleagues have spoken eloquently about this issue. We live in dangerous times. Because the country finds itself effectively in an economic state of emergency there is a temptation at times such as these to take draconian measures, just as there is a temptation at a time when people are frustrated with the workings of the Oireachtas, for example, to make simplistic arguments about abolishing one House of the Oireachtas. It is at times like this that we must be especially careful. As Senator O'Toole and others have said, we have our courts for a reason. We have the separation of powers for a reason and it is not appropriate to provide for this kind of power to reside within the Revenue Commissioners. In providing for the power of attachment I wonder why the Minister does not go the whole hog and provide for the power of committal while he is at it. The separation of powers exists for a reason.

We are talking about something as fundamentally important as people's livelihood, and we are all equal and united in our disapproval of those who evade tax and united in our desire to see the Exchequer garner and collect all to which it is entitled, but that does not mean we abandon all responsibility in the mechanisms we create and tolerate for the achievement of that goal.

This is yet another example of how wrong-headed it was to run this legislation through this House in such a short period of time. There is something substantially wrong in this measure. It deserves to be properly considered. It deserves to be the subject of an amendment, put and voted on. If right were right, the Government would see the sense in this proposal and it would go back to the Dáil this evening by way of a recommendation where we would not just have a pro forma exercise in the Dáil but a solid recommendation from the Seanad being accepted by the Dáil later. That is if right were right but right is not right at the moment. I ask the Minister of State to reconsider before going ahead with this most unsound piece of legislation.