Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I was interested to hear what my colleague, Senator Horkan, said about the property tax. I live in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and I still have a Fianna Fáil leaflet on my desk which came in my door. At that stage the party was unequivocal as it did not know what it was talking about in relation to property tax. The leaflet said it was the wrong tax at the wrong time. Members will recall that leaflet. I have copies, which I kept because I thought they were interesting. They said it was the wrong tax at the wrong time, but I say it is the wrong tax at any time. It is an outrage, it is an unjust tax, it takes no account of people's ability to pay and it should be reformed. I put a marker down here today to Members of all parties and none that this will be the hottest political issue on the agenda in the next general election. I and many others in this House and the other House will make it the hottest political topic on the agenda because people are fuming. They are enraged. They pay their taxes and stamp duty. As the Taoiseach said, they get up early in the morning. We want to get up early to do a hard day's work, be paid for it and keep the profits of our toil. Let us not be afraid of hard work or of the word "profit".

I bring to the attention of the House that the public consultation on the national planning framework ends next week. I wish to be positive. It is an excellent plan. It is a major master plan for the economy and for the strategic development of this country. The plan is important and is to be welcomed. I made a plea this morning at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government, and I make a similar plea to the Leader. Will he would consider speaking to the Minister with a view to extending the public consultation for one further month? I do so not to obstruct the national planning framework but in order that we can engage as widely as possible with the citizens of this country and get them to buy into the plan so that it becomes a successful plan. The public consultation will close next week and the notice period needs to be extended for one more month.