The Minister of State and I have had a good discussion about this matter and, as he will be aware, credit unions are the bedrock of many local communities. Members save, members borrow and credit unions are the peoples' bank in many cases. I am a former supervisor of my own credit union in Bishopstown. At this time of the year a lot of credit unions hold their annual general meeting, AGM, and we have passed legislation to provide for virtual AGMs, which we all welcome. Many people rely on the dividend payment. I kn…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I hope the credit union movement, which is supportive of and immersed in local communities, continues to sponsor local organisations. There is a hardship welfare fund available. I also hope the credit union movement will not move away from that ethos and neither will it be allowed to move away by the Government and the Central Bank. It is about accessibility and community. I take the Minister of State's final point about surpluses.

I welcome the Minister to the House. Many of us wish we were back on this day last year because, as Senator Dolan alluded to, we had full employment. To listen to some of the naysayers, one would think the previous Government did nothing. I remind the House of Mr. Seamus Coffey, the eminent University College Cork, UCC, academic who has written on the issue of income and inequality. The reality is that income growth and inequality is falling in our country at this time and as Mr. Pat Leahy wrote recently in The Iri…

We asked for a debate on the reopening of the country. There is a bit of confusion about the issue of church choirs and the need for churches to have music, particularly on Christmas Day. I am thinking of Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral in Cork, which has a wonderful choir, organ and music to enhance our liturgical celebration of the feast of Christmas. It it baffling that because the HPSC and the HSE say wind-blown musical instruments should not be used, the pipe organ, which is wind-blown by a machine and not the hum…

On a point of information, I ask the Leader to identify the organisation to which is she referring that showed disrespect?

Well said.

Will the Cathaoirleach outline the procedures for the legislation as the debate will be curtailed at 12.30 p.m.? How often may Members contribute?

May we contribute at a particular time or should we indicate when we wish to come in?

To clarify, I wish to speak on a particular matter, the retail export scheme.

I appreciate that but will the Cathaoirleach allow me to speak on the scheme? I do not wish to have a row with the Cathaoirleach.

Okay. The Cathaoirleach might allow me to speak when I indicate.

The amendment concerns a review and I will speak to that matter. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, to the House. I wish him well in his endeavours in the next critical period. The decision of the United Kingdom to scrap VAT-free shopping for non-EU visitors will, according to the UK Treasury, save £500 million in a calendar year. That is without any review taking place. As reported in The Sunday Times last Sunday, the Centre for Economic Policy Research predicts that the wider economic damage wi…

I am coming to that.

Such purchases could be made in Blarney Woollen Mills or, as the Cathaoirleach who is from Kenmare will know, in many fine shops in Kenmare. I am sure he would want to speak up for those retailers.

As the Minister of State, the Leader and the Cathaoirleach know, a review is necessary and it relates to this amendment. To give an example, the Guinness Storehouse is the biggest tourist attraction in the country. I referred to it last week and I did some research over the weekend. It would be difficult to spend €75 in the Guinness Storehouse as people might buy a trinket, T-shirt, glass or cap. To give the example of the Shannon heritage sites, including the Cliffs of Moher, Kylemore Abbey and Bunratty, to name b…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a dhéanamh leis as ucht an Bille seo. I hope this Bill will put us on the right track as we emerge from Covid-19. It is important that we are publishing our Finance Bill while we try to walk a tightrope on matters relating to Brexit and Covid-19. It is the backdrop because these matters are affecting people. Many Members have spoken about businesses, employers and employees affected by the catastrophe that is Covid-19. It is worth reflecting on the…

I was not referring to the Senator at all and he may protest too much. The Minister of State and I have had our battles around the retail export scheme and we will not revisit them. In the hospitality sector there is a VAT reduction and a Covid restrictions support scheme, CRSS, and we can add to that the extension of debt warehousing measures relating to income tax and reliefs for the self-employed. They are all welcome. Listening to some of the news on the radio, one might swear the Government was only about one …

This morning, in light of the commitment of Government to extend supports in to the new year to assist businesses to reopen, the reopening of the economy this week, notwithstanding Members' remarks, and acknowledging that the Covid restrictions support scheme, CRSS, the rate freeze, the VAT reduction, and the availability of the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, I am tempted to propose an amendment to the Order of Business to bring in the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, but I w…

On a point of clarification, are Members entitled to speak on this section a number of times or just once?

Much as I do not want to agree with Sinn Féin's economic policy-----