Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wanted to raise the matter of the Marketplace Fairness Act, which has got the backing of the Senate in the United States. It is designed to force online retailers like Amazon, eBay and such sites to collect state and local sales taxes. This could mean changes for Ireland and I am keen to know exactly what it could mean for Irish consumers and businesses. The intent is to ensure that online retailers and bricks-and-mortar shops are competing on a level playing field. However, I am concerned about how exactly it will be implemented and the way it could potentially impact.

It is uncertain at this stage how it will operate for consumers in the EU. All of us know how VAT is applied when an Irish consumer buys from the United Kingdom or France but it is not entirely certain how this would apply in the case of buying from the USA. There is a possibility of our being charged US sales tax and Irish VAT. This seems to me to be a distinct possibility.

From a political perspective any significant change such as this in US taxation policy needs to be watched closely by us. Ireland has a great strategic interest in the US and given that the level of investment in both directions is at unprecedented levels, we need to monitor such Acts, which could have an impact on us. I wish to find out with certainty what it means for Ireland, Irish consumers and Irish business, as it poses several questions for businesses which operate here and there. Although it is not something I expect the Minister for Finance to come to debate as a full debate, I would be grateful if it could be included as part of a larger debate when he is next in the House.

I echo the suggestion of Senator O'Brien to have a debate on adult mental health services. It is long overdue and I hear what he is saying. I have some people coming in tomorrow from the area of visual art therapy to discuss how it helps people with different difficulties. That will be tomorrow evening at 5 p.m. I hope Senators might come along to hear what the therapists and the organisation have to say and how helpful this therapy can be in the area of mental health.