Search the record

issue. I ask that the Taoiseach take on my colleague, Deputy Ged Nash’s excessive prices Bill, which the Government supported on Second Stage. It would force supermarket giants to publish their profits and bring about price transparency, thereby driving down the price of a weekly shop

collects in underlying revenue. The Government is spending more than it collects in underlying revenue. Just think about that. After excluding these excess corporation tax receipts, the Government is not heeding the call. Or, rather, it has heeded the call this year but it did not in previous … reduction in VAT for the hospitality sector, and while the small café benefits, so, too, does the larger entity that is making massive profits. Ronald McDonald gets the tax breaks while the McDonald family members living in Clondalkin, Lucan, Palmerstown and so on struggle to keep up with

People are selling goods and services to the State but we have no idea of who really we are dealing with or their profit margins. We also do not have a level playing field when it comes to negotiating on cost because we cannot see what kind … those who will be going through the affordable purchase scheme will pay. On Part V, the city councils are routinely paying well in excess of €500,000 of houses. In one instance, €717,000 was paid by Dublin City Council for a two-bedroom unit under Part

which the River Blackwater flows through. The River Blackwater was the scene of the greatest fish kill ever seen in this country. In excess of 40,000 fish were killed by a chemical irritant. The cross-party agency group came to a conclusion that no definite source could … which have polluted rivers in and around my own town of Mallow for many years, and which are making millions of euro in profit, that continue to pollute. My firm belief is that the reason for that is that it will cost them far less to take

message out there that we need to be prepared for such future challenges rather than just going straight to the profit and loss of the country or to the Exchequer to support them. In terms of those who are hard pressed, I welcome the measures the Minister … predictability. There is so much on deposit. Deputy Currie has touched on this. Between overseas and household savings, we are looking at in excess of €200 billion. I welcome the Minister's announcement in the budget about an action plan to reform Ireland's tax regime for interest