Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the circumstances, I would ask the Leader to reconfirm that the Order of Business for the forthcoming weeks will make provision for that. Second, in the context of the amount of business that we have to do in Seanad Éireann, there was an agreement in principle that there would be further room provided for Private Members' legislation if there was not a telling requirement on the part of the Government for legislation time.Looking at the Order of Business, which has been proposed for today and the coming days, it appears there will be time available from the Government for this purpose.

I wish to raise the remarks of the Taoiseach on his intention to struggle might and main, as he put it, to ensure property tax is not raised in the next couple of years. When one is Taoiseach, it is one thing to say that one has a policy in mind, but it is a different matter to say that one intends to struggle might and main to contain the existing law from having an affect on the people. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, the Minister for Finance, or whoever accepts responsibility in this area, to come to this House for a considered discussion on the future of the property tax and on the injustices, which it is now threatening to impose even more-----