Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

There is a glaring omission from the schedule of business for this week published by the Leader's office. A debate is not scheduled on the Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-16 plan published last week. Once again, it was published by way of a press conference outside the Houses of the Oireachtas and was not debated. Will the Leader allocate sufficient time next week to examine the vast number of projects throughout the country that have been axed by the Government and the implications that will have for employment here?

Next Thursday the Government will publish its comprehensive spending review and, like every other initiative introduced by this Government, it will do so outside the Houses of the Oireachtas by way of a press conference for the media. Will we be given ample time this week to discuss the comprehensive spending review? The Government must remember that it is answerable to the Houses of the Oireachtas, not the media. My advice to the Government is that it should respect the Houses and make such announcements in the Houses.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, to invite the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, who is responsible for public sector reform, to the House to explain to me and my colleagues why he, the Taoiseach and a number of other Ministers propose to continue with the dual abode allowance. Under this allowance, the Taoiseach will be able to claim 100% mortgage interest relief on his apartment down the road on Fenian Street, to the tune of €4,000, while the Minister, Deputy Brendan Howlin, has also indicated that he will claim this allowance. In addition, they will claim allowances for their utility bills. This is the Government that cut the allowances for utility bills for the elderly several months ago.

When I was a Member of the last Dáil I opposed the dual abode allowance and agreed with the then Leader of the Opposition, Deputy Enda Kenny, that it should be abolished. The Taoiseach said at the time, as he said about many other matters, that if he was in Government, he would get rid of this allowance. Now he will claim €4,000 in mortgage interest relief and will claim for his utility bills. That is in the context of the Keane report having been published almost nine weeks ago, with no action having been taken. The Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brian Hayes, came to the Seanad and told us he would publish an implementation strategy on mortgages well in advance of the budget. The Government also said it would implement an increase in mortgage interest relief to 30% for people who bought houses between 2004 and 2008, leading to an average saving of €166 for hard pressed mortgage holders.