David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator MacSharry regarding the discussion on the family home tax, or property tax. Three hours of debate is insufficient. When the legislation to bring this tax into being was passed before Christmas, only three hours to debate it were provided. It was guillotined. One amendment was reached. This is important legislation. It is draconian in some ways in that it gives huge powers to Revenue and to the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Social Protection and the Environment, Community and Local Government to take money from people's grants, social welfare payments, wages and even their bank accounts. In most cases, this tax will impact on families who, as we know, are already struggling to pay bills, put food on the table, put heating oil in the tanks, send their children to third and fourth level education, and primary and secondary school. Many families simply do not have the money to give.

In recent months I have raised a number of independent reports on the political system which have shown that more people in this State are living in poverty. We had the CSO figures of 2011, and the Irish League of Credit Unions report which showed that the majority of working people have less than ¤100 of disposable income left at the end of the month. We had a report also from Social Justice Ireland which showed that austerity is not working and is leading to rising levels of deprivation, poverty and unemployment.

It is in that context that this State will bring in a family home tax, supported initially by Fianna Fáil with the troika but to which it now says it is opposed. This family home tax will put huge pressure on many families, yet we are allowing only three hours to debate it. We will rush it through the House in the same way we did previously. The reason this amendment Bill is being put to us is because it was rushed through the House on the previous occasion, and mistakes were made. We are making the same mistake again by rushing it through the House today. That is unacceptable given the impact that tax will have on ordinary families.

These items of legislation are being rushed through the Houses because the Government does not want to upset any of its backbenchers who might have difficulties with this tax. It wants to rush it through without proper debate and not allow any type of campaign to take a foothold, but the reality is that many families are deeply worried and angry about this charge. They will be very angry when they hear that, again, politicians, the people they elect, are not being given proper time to scrutinise this legislation.