As a new Deputy, it is a great honour to be the first Member called upon by the Leas-Cheann Comhairle to address the House. I wish him well during his tenure of office.
I support the motion to continue the power to detain alleged drug traffickers for seven days. This is a small but important step in the fight against drugs which will allow for the detention of persons who would otherwise be in a position to flee the country prior to the application of the due process of law. There is a need to speed up the court system from the present 18 months it takes to process a case to the 90 day drug courts proposed in the Fianna Fáil position paper. Offenders will be able to choose their court supervised drug treatment programmes or imprisonment. I welcome the Minister's statement that he intends to bring forward a criminal justice Bill in the autumn and that one of the measures contained therein will be the speeding up of trials.
I congratulate Deputy Flood on his appointment as Minister of State at the Department of Tourism and Trade with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy Team. I assure him that I will support him fully in developing a radical approach to drugs and drug related crime.
The use of drugs is most common in areas of economic and social deprivation such as the south and north inner city areas, the suburbs in the west and north of Dublin and areas of Cork and Limerick. The communities in the flats complexes where the drug culture thrives have been stubbornly denied the benefits of the economic boom. There is a need for higher incomes and increased educational opportunities, environmental improvements and job creation. These communities have seen none of the dividends of the tiger economy and this will have to change.
My goal in this 28th Dáil is to eliminate social and economic deprivation and to promote an inclusive society where no one is marginalised. The reality in Fatima Mansions, Dolphin House, St. Theresa's Gardens and Bridgefoot Street is an indictment on our political and economic system because these areas have not benefited in any substantial way. The reality of the mantra "control Government spending" is questionable in a country which had a revenue surplus of more than £700 million in the first six months of the year.
In some countries there is a compulsive military tour of duty. I would like to see those who earn in excess of £50,000 per year go on a compulsory tour of Fatima Mansions and Bridgefoot Street. I am sure Deputy Gregory could suggest an extension of that tour into the north inner city.
In the 1960s a small number of people became wealthy on the back of the boom experienced during the Lemass era. In the 1990s a large number of people have become wealthy through tax sheltered investments which avoid the payment of income tax. This creation of wealth continues to be aided by the increase in the value of shares, spiralling property prices and low interest rates. I call this large group of people the "ivory circle". This group includes high earners in the professions, business, banks, financial institutions and the public service. This circle of people has helped to build up the economy through the use of tax shelters such as accelerated capital allowances, finance backed business expansion schemes and section 23 on rental income. Hotels are sprouting up throughout the country like mushrooms, Temple Bar is humming, designated areas such as the IFSC and Tallaght are booming and new apartment blocks are appearing every-where. All in all the country has benefited from the boom. Jobs have been created and Ireland is now a much sought after location for quality foreign investment and along the way, the ivory circle has become wealthy beyond its expectations.
I do not begrudge the members of that circle becoming wealthy but I want some justice in the system. The State has foregone hundreds of millions of pounds in tax and this lost income has formed the basis for the wealth created in recent years. The time has come for members of the ivory circle to pay their share of tax. I suggest there should be a limitation on the amount of income one can shelter from tax through tax avoidance schemes. There should be a special rate of tax on incomes over £50,000 which would reflect the State's contribution to the wealth that generated such income. The additional tax raised should be allocated to those communities who until now have gone without, economically and socially, in the creation of this booming economy.
What has this to do with drugs? If the quality of life improves in these communities, the drugs culture will not thrive and we will live in a safer and more secure environment. During the life of the Dáil I will work for all people, but with special regard for the marginalised and deprived.
