Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact that Committee Stage of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2015 will adjourn at 3 p.m. if it has not already concluded. I put Members on notice that I have tabled a number of significant amendments regarding pensions. These amendments would ensure that what happened in the case of the Irish airlines superannuation scheme, whereby a Government cut promised benefits by up to 60%, is not allowed to happen to any other worker in the State. I ask Members from the Government side and from the Opposition to have a look at those amendments in advance of the debate. I welcome their support because I believe the Seanad can do a job here today by passing at least one of those amendments, which would give protection to pension scheme members and their benefits.

To deal with Second Stage of the International Protection Bill 2015 this evening and Committee Stage tomorrow would require that amendments be tabled pretty much one hour after the conclusion of Second Stage. This would not give Members sufficient time to reflect on the Minister's presentation or other Second Stage contributions before tabling amendments to this important piece of legislation. I suggest that Second Stage of the Bill be moved to tomorrow, Thursday, 3 December, and that Committee Stage be taken on Monday 7 December. This would allow Members sufficient time to table amendments on Friday. I propose, by way of a formal amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 6 not be taken today and that it be listed for tomorrow.

In advance of the passage of the Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015 through the House, I ask Members to note that earlier on this year I presented the Local Property Tax (Management Fees) Relief Bill 2015. Because it is a money Bill it could not be moved in this House and it was moved in the Dáil. This Bill would have given some relief to people who are paying management fees. There are 200,000 households - apartments and houses - paying both full local property tax and management fees. Many of these people are paying the local property tax for services they do not receive from the local authority. The report of the expert group chaired by Dr. Don Thornhill recognised this issue. I proposed a modest change that would give up to €300 relief, or a third of the local property tax, whichever was lower, to take into account the fact that these 200,000 households are effectively paying on the double - full local property tax and full management fees. This measure would only be for principal private residences and only for those whose management fees were paid fully to date. The full cost of the measure would be €15 million. This Bill was moved in the Dáil by Deputy Sean Fleming but unfortunately was defeated by the Government. In advance of the Finance Bill Members can only table recommendations, and I will be putting forward a recommendation. I ask the Leader, in advance of Second Stage tomorrow, to inform the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, that we intend to move this again. This is in the interests of fairness, and I believe most would agree that people should not have to pay for services they do not receive. An element of common services can be paid for, but this is an issue of fairness in regard to how the local property tax is actually levied on properties. I intend to table a recommendation on this matter on Committee Stage of the Finance Bill. In advance of that I ask the good office of the Leader to raise it with the Minister for Finance.

I am formally proposing the amendment that No. 6 not be taken today.