Pat O'Neill (Fine Gael)

Thank you. The €50 charge must be considered in the context of the dire straits our economy is in and the potential fines we face as a country if we fail to implement the ECJ ruling. The Minister has spoken of a lump sum penalty of €2.7 million, followed by daily fines for non-compliance of more than €26,000 per day, amounting to more than €9.5 million annually. It is very clear that as a State we cannot afford to pay those fines. These are grave economic times and they require tough decisions made for the right reasons. The Minister, Deputy Hogan, has shown that he is up to this task and I wish him well in piloting this legislation through the Oireachtas.