The manner in which the Government is seeking to ram the property tax Bill through the House today is ridiculous and unnecessary. Some 88 amendments have been tabled, none by the Minister for Finance. The Government is allowing three minutes of debate per amendment tabled. The tax does not fall due until next July. This begs the question of why the Government needs to use its massive majority in the House to bulldoze through this legislation through without proper debate or scrutiny.

The Government has no mandate to introduce this property tax. In last year's general election, the Taoiseach and his party campaigned vigorously against the introduction of any annual recurring tax on the family home. The Labour Party advocated a site value tax with provision for exempting certain home owners. It stated that the needs of people who paid stamp duty and those in negative equity would need to be taken into account. The Bill that has been published makes no such provision for those people.

In the Minister for Finance's Second Stage speech on the Bill last week, he acknowledged for the first time that the Government had the discretion to use alternative measures to achieve the troika's targets, yet the Government has chosen not to do so.

When the full effect of this tax hits, it will push many low and middle income families over the financial cliff. They will not be able to pay. Some 180,000 family home mortgages are in trouble. Does the Taoiseach even realise that a family with three or four children and a gross income of more than €480 per week will not be able to avail of a full deferral of the property tax? Does he realise that the homeless charity Focus Ireland estimates that it will be hit by an annual property tax bill of €100,000? Home owners in Dublin, Cork and other major centres will be particularly hammered by this tax, which ignores ability to pay and the value of the mortgage attached to the property.

Will the Taoiseach at least honour one of the commitments made in the programme for Government by not guillotining debate on this property tax legislation, which cannot in any way be described as urgent?

The decision to introduce a property tax was originally signed up to by the Deputy's party with a view to raising €530 million in 2014. The tax as originally proposed by that party was unfair. This is an issue that is central to the memorandum of understanding, and the Government has decided to introduce it on the basis of a levy of 0.18% on the value of the property and, in the case of houses worth €1 million or more, a higher charge on the portion above that value. There is a recognition of the challenges many people face in this regard. The inclusion of deferrals and the issue concerning pyrite have been referred to specifically by the Minister.

Deputy McGrath is well aware that in the past 20 years, commercial premises, including retail outlets and other businesses, have been hit every year by local authorities that had no wider tax base from which to run services and provide facilities for people. This measure was considered by Government on the basis of it being fair and progressive and with an understanding that there are challenges facing people. The timescale for the debate on the legislation was set out by the Government Whip at last week's Whips' meeting. As the Deputy is aware, the Revenue Commissioners have undertaken the mechanics, design and collection of the tax, with a view to ensuring that everybody will contribute. We are one of the last countries in Europe not to have a property tax. The vast majority of income from the tax will be retained by the local authorities for the provision of facilities and services for the people who pay it in the first instance. From that point of view, the Bill will proceed through this House and the Seanad, as outlined by the Government Chief Whip at the meeting last week.

In his Budget Statement the Minister for Finance said that the Irish financial crisis could be summarised in the word "debt", consisting of both national debt and personal debt. For families who cannot pay their mortgage today, the Government's solution is to add more debt to the problem they already face. Only people in certain, very limited circumstances will be given the option of deferring the property tax. In effect, therefore, they are being asked to take on more debt and will be charged 4% per year for the privilege deferring their payment.

The Taoiseach has not answered a fundamental question. What is the need to rush this legislation through the House, given that it will not come into effect until July next year? The Bill raises a host of issues which will not be open to us to address satisfactorily in the very limited time available. We are expected to deal with 88 amendments in three and a half hours, which is three minutes per amendment. There is no need whatever for that. Will the Taoiseach show the House some respect by allowing adequate time for debate? There is no reason that we cannot return to the Bill in January and have a more mature and responsible debate that will allow us to address the clear and inherent anomalies and unfairness it contains.

The Deputy is well aware that towards the end of every parliamentary session, there is always pressure to get legislation through. The property tax is being organised and collected and the mechanics put in place by the Revenue Commissioners. A serious amount of co-ordination is required from them. As the Deputy rightly points out, the property tax is effective for a half-year next year. The mechanics of that have to be put in place from early in the new year. It is a fairer alternative to increasing income tax and putting a tax on jobs.

Fine Gael gave an undertaking before the election not to introduce a property tax.

It is a progressive tax in the sense that those who can afford it will pay more.

The Deputy referred to the challenge people face. The quarterly national accounts for the third quarter of 2012, released today, show GDP growing by 0.8% year on year and by 0.2% quarter on quarter. It is the first time since 2010 that private consumption has grown year on year. This is encouraging given that it is generally more labour intensive than export growth. It is good to see that sign of confidence returning.

Everybody understood that the Government would introduce a property tax, because of the memorandum of understanding and the requirement to widen the tax base.

That is not what the Taoiseach said in the election last year.

There were fears, however, that it would amount to an enormous sum for households. With the rate set at 0.18%, people can at least plan what their contribution will be, both for the half-year in 2013 and the two subsequent years. After that the local authorities will have responsibility for the property tax.