Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

I join in the congratulations offered to the Government and European leaders for the interest rate reduction. It deserves some nitpicking and we will have the opportunity to do so later. It is a good deal and it is good news for the country that the interest rate has been substantially reduced. However, further challenges remain.

We await the decision on charging ordinary folk €100 per houses, including local authority housing I presume. The idea that any Government will pay out €1 billion on unguaranteed senior bonds in November is crazy and I urge the Government to negotiate as hard as it can on this issue. The public will not put up with €1 billion being paid in November to a particular bondholder at the same time as the harshest budget ever.

The Government does not realise the opposition it will face over the €100 charge. It is the most inequitable charge if a millionaire pays the same as an ordinary person. It is not right and it will not be paid. There will be mass protests comparable to the poll tax in the UK, which caused major resentment and was the downfall of the Conservative Party Government at the time. I am utterly opposed to the flat rate charge and there will be massive opposition to a flat rate charge on utility bills. It is completely wrong in the context of no significant spending cuts in local authorities. The public will not fund local authorities if it does not get value for money, if staff do not return telephone calls on various issues and do not telephone public representatives.

Mortgages are in the news and I concur with Senator MacSharry on the point about the interest-rate cut and the lengthening of maturities to the Government. It is about time these were given to the ordinary punter and are provided for in the Family Home Bill. Senators will have the opportunity to support this Bill or otherwise, particularly in the context of yesterday's High Court judgment. It is a significant judgment. I presume it will end up in the Supreme Court but it is a hopeful judgment.

We have significant difficulty in getting the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, to the Chamber. Like the High Court judge yesterday, I recommend that the Leader suggests mediation between the Seanad and the Minister is appropriate. If he cannot attend the Chamber to discuss health issues, perhaps it is because he is too busy with the property development side of his portfolio. Perhaps some mediation can be used to get the Minister into the Chamber to discuss the important issues that affect all of us.