-----that this was to reduce-----

The record of the House will show it, folks.

I wrote it down because it was so laughable. The Tánaiste stated that this is about "reducing the cost of building apartments".

It was only when we pointed out that Paschal Donohoe made it very clear that this is not about affordability or reducing the cost of apartments-----

I cannot hear the Tánaiste.

This was not about reducing the cost of apartments. This was about so-called viability. Maybe this time next year the Tánaiste will be able to show me one apartment that is going to be sold, either in this city or anywhere else in the State, that was not viable at this point. This measure is going to cost us €250 million next year. Every apartment that is going to be sold next year - in the context of a measure that will cost €250 million - is already under construction. This is the biggest tax deadweight measure e…

One hundred per cent of it is going to developers who are already building these properties. Apartments that were sold last week benefited from this. The Tánaiste told us that this has already cost us €20 million since it was introduced on budget night. This is about filling the pockets of developers. It is doing what Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael do. At the same time, those in government have shafted ordinary people during a cost-of-living crisis. Shame on them all.

No.

I move amendment No. 1: To insert the following new paragraph after paragraph (3): "(4) The Minister shall, within one month of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann, a report on the very high level of deadweight associated with reducing the VAT rate to 9 per cent for apartments, making specific reference to the amount of public money that will be directed towards property developers profit margins for apartments, that would have been built had the VAT level remained at 13.5 per cent.". Today…

It is unique that we are here in the Dáil dealing with Estimates for the Department of the Taoiseach when the Taoiseach is a missing person in this debate. These Estimates always come before the committee that oversees and holds the Department of An Taoiseach accountable, which is the committee on finance, public expenditure and the Taoiseach. The Taoiseach only presents himself before the committee on rare occasions. It has to be noted that the Taoiseach has refused on a number of occasions to come before the comm…

No, those are not facts.

The Minister of State cannot invent her own facts.

The committee never agreed to a substitute to appear on behalf of the Taoiseach.

It is important because the Minister of State is not on the committee.

No matter what arrangement she and the Taoiseach had, that is not the fact.

No, it was never made by the committee.

That is wrong to draw a civil servant into this argument.

The Minister of State is drawing a staff member of this House into this issue

On a point of order, will the Minister of State clarify whether there was ever an agreement with the finance committee to have her in before it?

On two occasions the committee unanimously said-----