Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for coming here to engage with us on Second Stage of the Finance Bill 2024. I thank the officials. This is the first time I have seen the anteroom very full with officials and advisers. I thank the official behind the Minister of State, in particular. Clearly there is massive co-ordination, which I respect and understand.

We live in a society, environment and economy, and we cannot forget that. Ultimately, the Government has to use its resources and channel them based on the programme for Government and priorities. The Bill will be passed. The Taoiseach has clearly said this is the last piece of important legislative work before he goes to the park. There may or may not be other pieces of legislation tomorrow; we do not know. That is his prerogative and his only, as Taoiseach of this country.

We have an opportunity to speak on the Bill. I am conscious that this is the final budget of this Government. It is important to make a few points. In the third paragraph of the Minister's statement he referred to USC. I mentioned this in the Seanad earlier today. One only has to look at old election literature or Google the term "abolition of USC" to see an array of colour photographs of Ministers, some gone and some still in office, some of whom are still in the Houses, with coloured banners at our central train station stating that there was a commitment to abolish the USC.

Public life and politics is about honour and delivering on promises. We are now going into a general election with many promises. Quite frankly, I could understand if something was deferred. There was a blatant statement and commitment to tell the people of this country that the USC would be scrapped, and that did not happen. That is an important narrative to talk about as we go into an election. The parties will have the opportunity, through their manifestos and, ultimately, the programme for Government, to communicate their positions.

On the RTÉ news player and bulletins last night, USC was mentioned extensively. Suddenly, a lot of people are interested in it, both in and outside of these Houses. I have no doubt that a debate about honour, commitment and delivery on a promise in respect of the USC will be very significant in the general election.

I listened to my colleague, Senator Paul Gavan, speak about Sinn Féin's commitment to a figure of €45,000. It is a practical measure and a start. We have to have a reduction in the USC. It is an unfair tax and everyone is paying it, in particular low paid workers, despite a commitment from political parties to abolish it. That is a fact. I am disappointed by that. I ask that it be the focus of the Minister of State's party, and those of other parties and none, to address and give absolute clarity in their manifestos to how they will reduce the USC over a given period.That is the prerogative of the Minister of State's party and I respect that. I think the public will demand concrete commitments in Fine Gael's manifesto that ultimately may come into the programme for Government, which is an important point and worth making because it is substantial.

I am, of course, disappointed by the matter of the 9% hospitality VAT rate. There was much debate about what segments in government were going to deliver. I can say that members of the hospitality sector nominate people in this House. I have talked to a number of them. They are critically conscious that they feel they got a raw deal. They feel they got a raw deal, including the vintners, restaurateurs and hoteliers, and we need to look at that at some point. I acknowledge the research and development tax credit in the last two budgets, which is very positive. I am not here to knock everything. Far from it, I want to genuinely acknowledge that because I think it is important.

We need to look at farm relief and inheritance of agricultural land. We need to look at inheritance for single people. Our tax code is very much based on the institution of marriage, although many circumstances of people in these Houses, life and society are excluded in how they pass on their inheritance. Let us look again at imaginative tax breaks for forestry. We cannot get enough people into forestry and we do not see it as a tax incentive.

I raise the residential zoned land tax as it relates to 2025. We need greater certainty about it. Having spoken to city and county managers, we now have a situation where most city and county managers and councils have to pay the government this tax. They are not excluded from this tax, yet they were encouraged, and rightly so, by many governments to develop land banks for housing and industrial development. They now find themselves doing a tot up and asking councillors to approve funding to pay the residential zoned land tax. Surely that is a crazy situation. I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his indulgence.