I am sure the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, will agree that the vast majority of Irish people are law-abiding citizens. The fact that, with less than three days to go, more than 1 million people have yet to pay the household charge is a measure of the shambles the Government has made of this whole affair. Since the Government forced the charge through in its present form last December the communications strategy and political handling of this tax has been a disaster. Even Ministers have publicly conceded that mistakes have been made. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, has apologised in private to his Fine Gael parliamentary party colleagues but has not done so in public to the people.
Leaders’ Questions
Did you miss the meeting, Anthony?
The Government has refused point blank to allow a waiver for people who have a genuine inability to pay.
There would be no charge if you had not destroyed the country.
A Deputy
Welcome home from Australia.
They were looking for the Minister in Mullingar yesterday.
There was a fellow calling to pay his bill but the Minister was not home. He had the €100 but the Minister was not there.
Do you think we live in a parallel universe?
Run the prisons, Minister.
Please, Deputies.
The Government refused point blank to allow a waiver for people who have a genuine inability to pay. Since then people have been given the wrong information and been threatened, and genuine concerns have been dismissed out of hand. Ministers have taken to the airwaves and publicly contradicted each other about the role of An Post. People have been threatened that a council official would knock on their door to collect the tax and that income tax will rise if the charge is not collected. We now have confirmation from Active Retirement Ireland and others-----
One would think you were responsible for nothing. Incredible.
-----that fraudsters are knocking on the doors of vulnerable elderly people throughout the country, looking for the €100 charge-----
A Deputy
Scaremongering.
-----all because of the Government's threat. The deadline for paying this charge by instalments passed at the end of February, at a time when awareness of the charge was much less than it is today. There are many thousands of ordinary people who simply do not have access to €100 between now and Saturday night.
We know why that is.
Is it not the case that the only thing preventing people being allowed extra time to pay this charge is the stubborn political pride of the Minister, Deputy Hogan, and this Government?
Hear, hear.
Is the Government really going to force fines and penalties on more than 1 million ordinary people? Irish people are reasonable and fair-minded. Will the Minister take the heat out of this situation, extend the deadline for the payment-----
Have you paid yours?
-----allow people to pay through their local post office and allow them to pay by instalments in accordance with the means they have?
Well done.
Have you paid your charge?
The Deputy opposite is his party's spokesperson on finance so he is uniquely well-placed to understand the economic situation this country faces. He also understands we are dependent to fund day to day services on an arrangement entered into by the previous Administration with the troika. Under that agreement we are obliged this year to have a household charge. We will migrate to a more refined household charge for next year.
Emigrate.
That work is already underway. We are obliged, however, to have the money this year.
You will not be getting it.
Given the focus and controversy there is probably no household in the country that is unaware this charge is due. People know there are three ways in which the charge can and should be paid by the deadline of Saturday.
Who told them?
Half a million households have already paid. I ask Deputies on all sides of the House not to play party politics with this. This is part of the survival strategy for this country.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
There is a requirement for local government to fund its normal services and for €160 million to be raised. The local government fund requires the household charge this year in order to meet that figure.
They do not believe you.
Wherever there is a shortfall and whenever a Deputy or somebody who is obliged to pay does not that will impact on the quality of local services.
They have no services.
Thanks to you, Mattie.
I ask Deputies in this House-----
The Crown Prince is away.
I am sorry. Quiet, please.
-----to accept there is a legal requirement on households to pay €100. I know it is an imposition. I know the pressure households feel. The Deputy opposite knows full well, however, the economic catastrophe-----
In theory, the Minister knows that but not in reality. He is out of touch.
-----this Government inherited. We need to broaden the tax base beyond the narrow focus on taxing income alone in order to restore a solid income base that will ensure local and ordinary services continue to be provided for the people who need them.
Take the medicine.
The Minister acknowledged the need to broaden the tax base. Implicit in that is acceptance by the Government that this must be done. The Minister consistently highlights the Government's negotiating skills with the EU and the IMF but at no stage has this Government sought to renegotiate the household charge or the property tax.
Go away.
It should be honest with the people and at least acknowledge that fact.
You signed up for it.
I am only too well aware of the situation of the national finances. The important thing in that regard is that the €160 million pencilled into the budget to come from the household charge be collected over the course of 2012, not by midnight on Saturday. By imposing these strict terms and conditions in this manner the Government is placing enormous pressure and stress on ordinary Irish families, many of whom simply do not have access to €100 between now and midnight on Saturday. Is the Government really going to impose fines and penalties on more than 1 million people if they genuinely cannot come up with €100 between now and Saturday night?
Is Deputy McGrath for or against it?
The Minister must acknowledge that he has not managed to bring the people with him on this issue. For once, he should eat some political humble pie. He has already acknowledged mistakes in the budget in respect of cuts to people with profound disabilities and should acknowledge that the way this has been handled is also a mistake. The deadline should be extended and people who genuinely want to pay should be given the opportunity to do so. They should be allowed to pay by instalments.
I listened to Deputies, including those on this morning's radio programmes, who indicated they are in favour of a property tax, just not this one.
This is a household charge.
Whatever property tax is devised, it will be opposed for-base political reasons. Deputy Michael McGrath's party agreed with the troika to have a site valuation tax and this is the first step in doing so. It is a flat rate tax and it needs to be nuanced. We are working on that. It could not be done in any other way this year.
It is a poll tax.
Deputy McGrath referred to it being done in the course of this year. Local authorities need certainty on their funding and there is no point in telling them their allocation-----
The Government withdrew funding from local authorities.
Deputy Halligan should stay quiet. We live in a parliamentary democracy.
The Government withdrew funding from local authorities.
Deputy Halligan will take a walk if he is not careful.
Tell him not to be bullying people.
Excuse me, please do not speak to the Chair like that.
I am not speaking to the Chair.
I get complaints every morning about the behaviour in this Chamber from people viewing proceedings of the House. No one who shouts and roars is impressing anyone. I ask Members to allow others to have their say.
The Ceann Comhairle should look to the other side and should not be looking over here all the time.
There are Deputies opposite who will support no tax, no charge and no cut. It is Darby O'Gill economics by which people will not be fooled.
What about a wealth tax?
People want this economy to recover and they know the path to recovery is a hard path. They will not be fooled by people pretending we can fund local government with magic money. The final point is that we need certainty on this funding.
The Government should send big Phil to China.
I ask everyone in this House and those who are obliged to pay this household charge to use mechanisms available between now and Saturday to pay the charge in solidarity with the 500,000 households who have paid, many of whom are not in a great position to pay but know their duty is to pay the charge. I ask people to do so.
It is bullying.
Have Government Members all paid?
Yes; has Deputy Kelleher paid?
If Deputies Buttimer and Kelleher want to have a conversation with each other, please go outside the Chamber.
The Minister's colleague, Deputy Joan Burton, has called on the Government to review contact with Mr. Denis O'Brien. The Minister of State, Deputy Lucinda Creighton, shares those concerns. She was critical of his attendance at the global Irish economic forum last October. It seems the Taoiseach takes a different view, beaming as he was in a photograph with that individual. I ask the Minister to set out his position on this matter and the position of the Government.
For my personal perspective, there should be a consequence for those well-known people, or not, against whom adverse findings are adduced by a tribunal of inquiry.
Is that the Government view or Deputy Howlin's personal view?
That is my view. It is an important point to bear in mind. The Taoiseach was invited to a particular function, he did not issue invitations. Others were also invited.
What about the Global Irish Economic Forum?
None of us can control the people who are photographed with us.
Regarding the invitation to the Global Irish Economic Forum, the invitations issued replicated those who were invited to the first forum.
Stop.
That is weak.
There were adverse comments about the attendance of Mr. O'Brien and we must all reflect on that. I saw the glad handing of a former leader of Fianna Fáil at a party conference and we will now see who shuns him. We must all make personal decisions and the Government must make its decisions about any individual against whom adverse findings have been made by a tribunal established by this House. I agree with the Deputy in that regard.
The answer is not clear.
He agreed with you.
The Minister said there should be consequences for people against whom adverse findings have been made and that the Government must take a decision. What is that decision? After a week debating the Mahon report, the Government seems ambivalent, confused or maybe compromised about its position on genuine consequences and genuine reform. What is the Government view of contact with Mr. O'Brien? Is there a division on this matter? I refer to the fiasco around Deputy Phil Hogan, not just the household charge but also the shutting down of legitimate inquiries into planning issues across local authorities-----
They are not shut down.
We cannot go into a separate issue.
-----which is further evidence of ambivalence-----
We can only deal with one topic. Deputy McDonald is over time.
What is the position of Government in respect of Mr. Denis O'Brien?
What about Sinn Féin's pals?
I will first talk about our reaction to the Mahon tribunal.
We will not. That is a separate issue entirely. We are talking about Mr. O'Brien.
I understood the question was about the adverse findings of the Moriarty tribunal and the Mahon tribunal and how we deal with people against whom adverse findings have been made.
We must have one topic at the time. Does Deputy Howlin understand my position?
I do but I hear a scattergun approach to questions and would like to answer them.
It is a straightforward question.
I have outlined my view on Mr. O'Brien and on anyone against whom serious adverse findings have been arrived at by a tribunal of inquiry. The Cabinet has not discussed the list of people to be shunned if that is what Deputy McDonald is asking about. If future invitations are to be issued, I am sure those matters will be discussed at Cabinet.
Does Sinn Féin shun those who were bombing and shooting people for 30 years and caused mayhem on this island?
What about Deputy Shatter's friends in Israel?
If this behaviour does not cease, I will suspend the sitting.
It all started over there.
I ask Ministers, in particular, to show an example. I will suspend the sitting if this behaviour, on both sides, continues.
I will bring the Chamber back to a serious issue. A number of weeks ago, I raised an important and serious issue of gangland crime and crime generally and the major negative impact it is having in communities and throughout the country. Since then, we have seen the terrible plight of Steve Collins and his family having to flee the country following the horrific murder of his son, Ryan, as a consequence of gangland criminals. We have also seen the horrific death of a young Polish worker Lukasz Rzeszutko, a model worker and son beaten to death by a gang for a buzz. There has also been the disgraceful case of a violent prisoner who was involved in the death of a garda released to an open prison. That is a very serious case and the public is very angry about it.
These deaths and threats are happening on our streets. I am glad the Minister for Justice and Equality is in the Chamber as there are many more unreported incidents yet there seems to be no widespread political revulsion. The silence is deafening.
First, will the Minister join with me in paying tribute to Steve Collins, his family and the other victims for their bravery, dignity and sheer courage as they have done this State some service? Second, if the Government is serious about standing with them will the Minister outline to me how it will protect our citizens? Does the Minister realise that many of our people are wondering who is running the country and the justice system in this State? Third, can the Minister tell this House how he and his Government intend to tackle these gangs and end lawlessness in this country?
I might begin by acknowledging Deputy McGrath's final day as leader of the Technical Group. I understand he will be rotating out and handing over the baton to Deputy Pringle in the future.
We are so sorry.
I hope the trauma of the loss of leadership will not be too great for him to endure.
On the very serious matter Deputy McGrath has raised, there is no right-thinking person in the country who does not acknowledge the debt this State has to Mr. Collins and his family who stood by the institutions of this State at great personal risk.
Hear, hear.
It is profoundly sad that he had to come to the conclusion that to live a normal life he had to move out of his home city. That is shocking. I am aware that the Minister for Justice and Equality and this Government has done everything to stand by Mr. Steve Collins and his family and support him in the decision that was best for him and his family.
On the broader issue of gangland crime, the Deputy will be aware that the crime figures generally are significantly improved and that the actions of the Garda Síochána, particularly in Limerick, have ensured that what is probably the most pernicious and vicious gang this country has ever had to encounter has been brought to heel, that many of them are in jail and that legal proceedings are pending against many more. That is not to say we should be complacent. We are not because often thugs who end up in jail are replaced by the next generation of thugs. It is an ongoing battle but I assure the Deputy that no resource will be spared in the fight against these pernicious gangs in particular.
You opposed the legislation that put them in jail.
I thank the Minister for his comments on my rotating in the Technical Group. I assure him that we have a group of very talented people in the Technical Group and I wish them well in the future.
I thank the Minister for his response and I hope he takes on board my views on the question I asked earlier because it makes one wonder when one contrasts the bravery and integrity of somebody like Steve Collins and his family with the carry-on in the tribunals. That is what people are saying on the streets. Does the Minister accept now that we need a new and radical strategy to deal with this violent gangland crime issue? Also, does he accept that we need more prevention measures? There appears to be too much emphasis on what happens after the killings. We need more prevention measures.
I raise another serious issue for which we and the broader society have a responsibility. Will the Minister accept there is a connection between the violence occurring and the consumption of cocaine and alcohol? Most gardaí, nurses and fire officers on the ground will tell one that the people who mix alcohol and cocaine are the ones involved in extremely violent incidents, and they happen every night in our communities. How will the Minister's Government deal with the huge market for cocaine?
The late Tony Gregory raised this issue many times, and I think of him here today. Will the Minister and his Government sit down with the anti-drugs community groups and senior gardaí and develop a new strategy to try to tackle this issue in the next two to three months?
It is important that we acknowledge success too. The Garda has been very vigilant and successful in confronting the gangs in Limerick in particular. Currently, 106 gangland members are in jail, including 20 of the leaders of the gangs, and that is because of the difficult task of following up the criminals and prosecuting them through the courts. That process is ongoing. The Minister for Justice and Equality has already told this House that the current significant raft of legislation is being reviewed constantly and the views of the Garda Síochána, particularly the Commissioner, on any resource or legislative measure that is required will always be entertained by the Minister.
On the drugs issue generally, the Deputy is right. We must get the message across to those who use drugs, particularly the middle class use of cocaine, that they are part of the gangland scene by providing a marketplace for this dangerous and destructive industry.