Do you want a shovel?

I will. I will make the point, first of all, that I am not sure whether the Tánaiste withdraws the fact that it is about affordability, or does he agree with his predecessor that it is actually about so-called viability?

Okay, but you cannot have it both ways. You cannot make it up as you are going along, in fairness. It is too big an issue.

The Tánaiste did not address the fact that these companies are making huge profits in the first instance. I challenge the Tánaiste on this because he gave the impression in his comments that I was misrepresenting the promises he made to the electorate. In his response, will he explain? Did he not make the promise to reduce tax each year to workers? Did he not make the promise to provide a roadmap on childcare within 100 days? Did he not make the promise to reduce third level fees, which went up €500 compared with l…

The Tánaiste introduced this subject.

You did.

You introduced the subject that you did not make these promises. He introduced the subject.

I just wanted to remind the Tánaiste of the commitments he made-----

-----to the public that he is breaking, and the commitment he never made to developers, at least in public, that the Government was going to stuff hundreds of millions of euro into their pockets through a reduced VAT rate.

The Tánaiste did not answer the question from Deputy Gould-----

-----in relation to whether he believes that the 17,000 or 18,000 apartments that are being built are actually viable. If so, then why has the Government decided to provide hundreds of millions of euro into the pockets of developers for valuable apartments?

I move amendment No. 26: In page 86, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: “Report on taxation of bailed-out banks 50. The Minister shall, within 3 months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on the amount of tax revenue lost as a result of bailed-out banks facing no restriction on their ability to off-set corporation taxes using historic losses related to the crash and making specific reference to the number of years the bailed-out banks will be able to avoid tax int…

I intend to press this amendment. I do not dispute the history the Tánaiste outlined. The issue of capitalisation of the banks or the State having to provide additional capital, which was the excuse used at the time, does not pertain any more. The paper he referenced is a number of years old. The idea in it was about dividends to the State as a result of our shareholding and also recognising asset value. There is no asset value to be recognised now in AIB or Bank of Ireland. We do not get any dividends from them an…

That is the most ridiculous comment. I presume the Tánaiste was handed it in good faith but it was obviously provided by bankers or people sympathetic to them.

Let me finish.

If I may finish, it is obvious the advice was given to the Tánaiste by bankers or somebody who is sympathetic to their situation. What does it translate to? If we ask banks to pay corporation tax on their €5 billion profit, they will increase the charges on Irish people. That is what the Tánaiste is saying. It is why the Government does not want to do anything and will allow the banks not to pay tax for another decade in some cases. That is the threat. God forbid we ask banks that are making €5 billion profit to pa…

I move amendment No. 28: In page 91, between lines 1 and 2, to insert the following: “Report on legislated increase to rates of Mineral Oil Tax 53. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on the legislated increase to rates of mineral oil tax, including an analysis of the distributional impact.”. I have raised and referenced over and over again the issue of the continued increases in the carbon tax by this Government on petrol, diesel and home h…

Do not get me started on disability services. The Government is breaking the law every day.

I will press the amendment.

I am glad the Tánaiste has changed his tune and stated that this is a viability measure, because he started off this evening by saying-----