Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In that regard, I call on the Leader to arrange a debate on lobbyists. I also call on the Government to proceed with the introduction of legislation providing for a list of registered lobbyists. The proposal may not satisfy some Senators on the Government side but my party would welcome such a measure.

I join Senator John Whelan in calling for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, to come to the House to discuss the implementation of the property charge and the allocation of revenue from the charge.

I support Senator Catherine Noone's comments on rates, which is an issue I had intended to raise. The legislation in Northern Ireland to which she referred is worth examining and we should do so as a matter of priority. In the Twenty-six Counties, the weekly rent of premises is sometimes only one quarter of the rates charged by local authorities. We must urgently examine the issue of rates in conjunction with a general discussion of the property tax.