Seanad debates

Tuesday, 12 July 2011

1:00 pm

Photo of Thomas ByrneThomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

It is a most serious issue and one that badly needs to be addressed because we see Ministers running to protect their own areas.

My second point relates to media reports at the weekend that sources close to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, were seriously criticising the Taoiseach about his commitment on the issue of income tax. Whether that is true should also be addressed in the House. The commitment was given since the general election. As they got to read the books, they do not have the excuse that they did not know how bad things were. Will the commitment given be abandoned? Is there talk of it being abandoned, or did it mean anything at the time it was given? These topics in the media of concern to the people are worthy of discussion in the House. I, therefore, ask the Leader to arrange a debate on them. We were promised that the Minister for Finance would come into the House for a full throttle debate on financial issues. I fully accept, as I always have, that he is a very busy man and that his primary function is that of fulfilling his role as Minister for Finance, but time should be made available to the Seanad to discuss the issues I have raised and other serious matters concerning his portfolio.

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