I move amendment No. l:
In page 4, subsection (1), after "area" to add "and includes traders who visit the State on occasions to sell their goods on stalls or in the market place.".
I am not satisfied; far from it and that is why I proposed this amendment. The distinction the Minister made between casual and occasional trading has further confused me. He pulled this new distinction out of the hat and will further confuse those who will implement the legislation.
Those implementing this legislation have additional powers but the Minister did not mention extra funding. A man came to my house and offered to paint my barn for £600. I had previously received a quote for £1,200. He had a £38,000 Landrover and a telephone in the cab and I asked him for his address, his tax number and a sample of his paint. He pulled out a leaflet from an English company — this leaflet could be picked up in any shop. The name of a very reputable company and the tax number were printed on the bottom of the leaflet. This Bill will not legislate for those people and the Minister is signalling a further way out for the many people who do business this way. These people are driving a horse and cart through the legislation.
There is a grave need to legislate for people who come to this State with lorry loads of carpets, televisions and other goods. No restrictions are placed on them, they trade on the side of the road with their televisions piled high and they advertise new sets at half price. Those televisions are guaranteed by people who do not have an address in the State. The Minister should explain that to business people in Letterkenny, Ballybofey and other towns in Donegal who are struggling to pay their tax, rates and bills.
The Minister says the casual trading legislation covers occasional traders over whom the Garda have no authority. I am asking the Minister to amend the Bill. There is no point in telling me that it already covers these traders because I know it does not. I am looking for legislation and for a positive response. We are in agreement on the necessity for this Bill; and I am looking for the Minister's co-operation to bring major traders within it. We are not talking about the person who sells a few daffodils, bananas or strawberries; we are talking about a much bigger type of client. The Moore Street traders and others covered in the legislation are small fry in comparison to the traders I am talking about.
If the Minister dismisses me and says that this is a fringe trading element that comes across the Border occasionally, he is not living in the real world. I suggest the Minister drives back tomorrow through Carrickmacross to see what "occasional" or "casual" trading means. I am shocked at the fact that the Minister dismissed my proposal so lightly and I ask him sincerely to include provision to control those who come to this State with lorry loads of merchandise and trade freely. The Minister should not let them off the hook by saying they are occasional traders, because he is giving them an out and confusing the Garda and the local authority. This Bill will not have served its purpose if he ignores what I am asking him to do.