I thank the Senator and I have listened carefully to what she said. As was indicated, addressing vacancy and maximising the use of the existing housing stock is a priority objective for this Government and for everybody with an interest in the housing situation. In Housing for All, the Government has set out a suite of incentives available to encourage the reuse of properties and increase the supply of housing. In addition, the Government is committed to exploring options around sanctions for non-use of residential…

As well as opposing section 99, the Senator and her colleagues in this House are, in recommendation No. 27, calling for a report to be prepared on the impact of the levy within six months of the passing of the Act. The Minister has previously stated it is intended that the revenue from this new levy will contribute towards offsetting the significant costs arising from the comprehensive redress scheme for those homeowners who have been affected by the issue of defective concrete blocks, as agreed by the Government i…

I am pleased to be in Seanad Éireann to present the Credit Union (Amendment) Bill 2022. In accordance with Standing Order No. 149(2)(i), I confirm that the reason pre-legislative scrutiny did not take place under Seanad Standing Order No. 143 is to meet a programme for Government commitment to review the policy framework for credit unions. Credit unions are the most trusted brand in Ireland and the Government wants credit unions to provide a much wider range of products and services to their members. All credit uni…

I thank all of the Senators who have contributed to the debate. It is very clear that everybody who spoke has a deep personal knowledge of and connection with the credit union movement through their own local credit unions. We accept that, in itself, this Bill will not solve all of the issues in the credit union movement, many of which are issues that will have to be sorted out by the movement itself. The first point I will make is that this is enabling legislation. It facilitates credit unions in making changes to…

I thank Deputies for their contributions to this debate on drugs policy and acknowledge their interest in and commitment to the issue. In particular, I thank the Labour Party for providing time for the debate. The Government is fully committed to a health-led approach to the drugs issue and believes that people with problematic drug and alcohol use issues should be treated with compassion and care. As Deputies will be aware, the programme for Government includes a commitment to convening a citizens' assembly to con…

I am pleased to be here this evening to discuss the Finance Bill 2022. As Senators are aware, the annual Finance Bill provides a legislative basis for the provisions introduced in the budget as well as some further changes to the tax code. I understand that Senators have been provided with an updated summary of the Bill as passed by the Dáil so I do not consider that I need go through the Bill on a section by section basis. Instead I propose to look at the broad themes in the Bill and how it will provide the legisl…

I thank the large number of Senators who contributed on this debate. I will touch on as many of their points as I can in the short time available to me. Senator Maria Byrne and a number of others mentioned general cost-of-living measures that were not specifically budgetary or Finance Bill matters but were part of the package announced on budget day and, therefore, it was reasonable that they were mentioned in this debate. They might be connected to social protection legislation, but they were part of the overall b…

What about Clonakilty?

Section 481 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, also known as the film tax relief, is intended to act as a stimulus to the creation of an indigenous film industry in the State creating quality employment opportunities and supporting expressions of culture. I thank the Senator for his opening remarks. He has shown a depth and knowledge of the industry that very few Members have and he has gone through the various groups involved in the sector that participate and are involved in it. They earn a good livelihood and …

I acknowledge what Senator Malcolm Byrne said. The fact the Department is, in the context of the Finance Bill, extending the main relief available under the scheme for all counties for another four years is an indication that it fully supports the general scheme. It is a nationwide scheme. On assisting particular regions, the Senator will be aware the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media recently announced funding of €2 million for the establishment of five new national talent academies …

I thank Senators for their contributions on this important issue. I acknowledge the importance of the tourism and hospitality sectors as significant employers throughout the country. There is a great range of opportunities in the sector with part-time and full-time roles. The tourism and hospitality sectors provide many people with their first jobs. For other people the sectors provide flexible working patterns allowing for other commitments, be they childcare or third level study. For a large number of people thes…

Income from the hospitality sector comprises 70% and accommodation 30%. It would be a significant cost. Technically, it is possible to do it. Another suggestion was made about different VAT rates in different zones around the country. I want to be clear on this. This is not permitted under EU VAT rules. People referred to costs in the capital city versus costs in other parts of the country, but we are one State and we cannot have different VAT rates in different counties. On the first question on decoupling, the an…

I thank the Deputies for their contributions and for their constructive engagement with this legislation. It is the intention of the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, to have this Bill examined by the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach in the coming weeks, where he looks forward to a more detailed consideration of the provisions of this Bill, and will engage with Deputies on any proposed amendments. In the meantime, the Department officials and the Minister will reflect on the points …

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)( a ) and 181(1).

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." We have seen the fallout when firms and industries ignore the impact on consumers of the decisions they make and the actions they take. This was evident in the stress suffered by individuals and families during the tracker mortgage scandal, caused by a toxic culture in our banks and financial services sector. There has been intensive work at EU and national levels in recent years to make our financial system stronger and more stable. The Central Bank Reform Act 201…

I thank the Senator for raising this matter in the House today. First, I wish to apologise to Senator Boylan and to the House for the non-availability of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, or myself yesterday, or of a Minister of State to speak on our behalf. I appreciate the forbearance of Senator Boylan in agreeing to speak on the Commencement matter today. I thank her for that. At the outset it should be noted that neither the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, nor the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ea…

Under the current legislative framework there is effectively no scope for Ireland to unilaterally tax commercial aviation fuel used by private jets. I have given the Senator the background and once there is agreement with another countries, it could be done. Senator Boylan mentioned that France is considering the introduction of this as well as a debate at the Transport Council in Prague on 20 to 21 October. We have not seen any specific details but closer to the time, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan,…

I thank Senator Cummins for raising this important issue and allowing me the opportunity to provide an update on this matter. Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. Many areas of cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant properties, which, if brought back into use, could add real vibrancy to, and provide new accommodation in, those areas. The Croí Cónaithe towns fund is a key initiative that underpins the pol…

I want to join the Senator in welcoming this good news. When I was asked to stand in for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage this morning, I spoke at length with officials to confirm the details. Like everybody in rural areas, as soon as the scheme came out and was extended to villages of 400 or 500 people, we were immediately asked about the derelict houses in rural areas. This announcement by the Minister that it will be extended to rural areas is fantastic. They are now working with the vacan…

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. He spoke to me before we arrived in the Chamber to discuss the matter, and I appreciate his efforts to highlight the issue. The Minister for Finance announced the introduction of a levy on pouring concrete, concrete blocks and certain other concrete products used in the construction of buildings in his budget 2023 speech. This follows a Government decision of November 2021 which approved an enhanced redress scheme for householders impacted by the use of defective concrete…