Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

My colleague, Senator Ó Domhnaill, referred to the issue of waivers and I agree with him. Another fundamental unfairness in respect of this charge is that the local authorities are not being asked to make efficiencies under the legislation while members of the public is being asked to pay €100 or they will go to prison or be fined or convicted in a criminal court. The crimes the Government is coming up with always seem to affect ordinary people whether they relate to septic tanks or a household charge. The Government view is that people will be brought to court if they do not pay such and such and that they will be convicted of a criminal offence. This is a regressive manoeuvre and a measure the current parties in Government fought hard against previously in respect of fisheries legislation when they sought administrative penalties. Instead we have criminal penalties whereby the long hand of the law is forced on people. We should consider administrative penalties rather than criminal penalties.

There is a different system for the non-principal private residence, NPPR, charge. Why is this? Why did the Government not merge the two systems and put in place a different charge for one and for the other? One can pay for the landlord's tax in an office but one cannot pay or this tax in an office. Why should anyone pay such a charge in cash? Last week the Italians moved to stop all transactions in their economy greater than €300 in cash. There should be no cash payments of €100 in local authority offices by landlords of residential properties. I call on the Minister of State to consider this. Why can they not pay by cheque or bank transfer? At least if they are paying in a different way with a bank record it is better for the Government.

Members have welcomed the issue of mortgage interest relief and I welcome any waiver in this regard but fewer people will get mortgage interest relief as a result of the Government measures. I disagree with the points made by Senator Quinn on the instalment issues. Most people take care of their bills on a monthly basis. There should be a monthly direct debit facility. People do not take care of their bills on a quarterly basis. Most people here are living from pay cheque to pay cheque or welfare cheque to welfare cheque. The requirement to pay quarterly is problematic. I am disappointed that we cannot pay through the ESB billing system. The Greeks managed to do it. At the least we should have a monthly system whereby one pays whatever is due every month.