Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Samantha Long and Ellen from Senator Michael McDowell’s office as well as Breege and the intern from Senator Conway’s office. They are very welcome to the House.

I wish to talk about two things, the first of which is the residential zoned land tax, which I talked about yesterday. There has been a bit more clarity in the past few hours in respect of this tax. There is a lot of misunderstanding about this tax. There is no exemption from this tax. One can apply for an exemption if one desires to down zone or dezone, not rezone. That is an important point. We will have another opportunity to debate this, either in this House or outside of it. It will become a big focus in the forthcoming general election, so it is important that we get our facts right. Therefore, I call on the Government to move quickly to explain the rationale for this residential zoned land tax in simple terms that are clearly understood. I also call for the publication of the guidelines to be issued to the local authorities as a matter of priority. I made contact with a number of local authorities last night and today and I am reliably informed that all local authorities will be subject to some of this tax. All local authorities were encouraged to develop land banks by central government. Many of them are agricultural lands and many are potentially serviced. No one has done the sums in relation to the exposure and the tax for our 31 local authorities and where that will be transferred. I am also reliably informed that there is no exemption from the tax for any local authority in the legislation currently. There needs to be greater clarity. I understand that a number of the agricultural and farming representative bodies will be issuing statements about this matter later on, so I leave it at that. Let us have clarity and let us have the facts.

I commend the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, on his valiant efforts with regard to the hospitality sector. I am conscious that the hospitality sector, the hotel industry and the vintners' association have representatives on the Seanad nomination bodies. I encourage them to look at them again and to home in on their representation. They are here to represent that sector. I have not heard too many people up to budget day yesterday talking about their requirements and their desires. I am conscious of a media statement received by all Senators today from the sector, the Irish Hotels Federation, IHF, which talked about the budget and the crisis of the hospitality sector deepening. It is fiercely frustrated and disappointed. Let us have a debate on it. Let their representatives, who are being nominated by these panels, stand up and call for a debate in this House this week. I will call every day for a debate on the hospitality sector until we go to the general election. I will finish on this point. The Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, made valiant efforts but he was frustrated in the process. Questions need to be asked. I look forward to asking him, as Minister with responsibility in this sector, to come to this House and be facilitate by the Leader to do so, to have a frank, open and transparent debate on these issues in the limelight of the cameras in this open political Chamber.