Pat Casey (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not understand why this specific part of the Bill has to be rushed through. We are looking at an industry that has been decimated this year. There will probably not be an English or overseas visitor here before June next year anyway. Where is the panic? Where is the urgency?Why are we rushing this? As Senator Chambers said, why can we not pause this and get further detailed analysis on it?

Credible alternatives have been put to the Minister of State today and I am disappointed they will all be ignored. I am not buying into the review at the end of the year because as I have said, once this is brought in we will be trying to backtrack. I do not understand why the collected spend of €75 was never considered, whereby people can only submit a claim if they spend a total of €75.

I am begging for an industry that has been shut down this year to give it an opportunity next year. It will be lucky if it gets six months next year. There is no impact to Revenue in this. I urge the Minister of State, if he can do anything in the last few minutes we have in the debate, to get the Government to see some of the reasonable proposals that have been put forward by Senators in all parties in the House, including Government Senators.