Last week the Government announced with great fanfare - it will claim rightly and justifiably - a deal on the promissory notes. Over the weekend we saw a certain amount of spinning to take credit for it and it was mentioned how the Government had said it would threaten and intimidate the Governor of the Central Bank to make sure a deal came through on time. There was the banging of fists on tables. What was most important was that the vast majority inside and outside this House had welcomed the deal. The Government claimed that it was necessary that there be a social dividend arising from it.

It socialised the debt.

It then published the Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2013. That tax is inherently unfair, as it does not take into account ability to pay.

The Deputy should look at his party's memorandum.

It was a Fianna Fáil tax.

It does not take into account the recommendations of the Commission on Taxation with regard to certain cohorts.

That is preposterous.

The fact of the matter is that the tax is inherently unfair and unjust.

Why did Fianna Fáil propose it?

The Deputy obviously did not read the manifestos because in his party's manifesto he did not propose it either.

Deputy Emmet Stagg did not read the memorandum of understanding either because it included a reference to a site valuation tax, which is something very different altogether.

The Deputy should read the memorandum of understanding and point his finger at himself.

Deputies should calm down.

I raise this matter because there is grave concern outside the House and on the back benches of the Labour Party and Fine Gael. This tax is seen as being the wrong tax at the wrong time.

Yes, it is the wrong time. The Deputy's party should have introduced it.

The Deputy should now conclude, as he is over time.

In fairness, there has been heckling. I would like to make a few valid points if Members opposite would listen. The CSO has published figures that show that disposable income has fallen for a fourth year in a row. It is outlining that people simply cannot afford the basics of heating, gas and oil.

How did that happen?

Fianna Fáil bankrupted the country.

Who is responsible for it?

Eric the Red is causing trouble.

When Deputy Eric Byrne is on one's side, one knows one is in trouble.

Deputy Finian McGrath is backing Fianna Fáil again.

Let me make three points. Why did the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Government not take into account the recommendations of the Commission on Taxation with regard to people who had purchased homes at the height of the boom and paid excessive stamp duty? That is one critical issue.

Who was in government at the time I wonder?

Why did they not take into account inability to pay at a time when families were under huge pressure and the figures correlated with this? They are the two key issues about which people want to know.

Would it not be appropriate to at least give some social dividend in view of the deal on the promissory notes to address a generation who are finding it very difficult in middle Ireland, particularly in Dublin, as the Minister's backbenchers are saying, as are Fine Gael backbenchers, daily on radio and to their constituents?

It is a Fianna Fáil social dividend.

Deputy Billy Kelleher has raised a variety of issues. Last week the official spokesperson of the Deputy's party, Deputy Michael McGrath, was quite gracious in acknowledging the deal done and its impact on the country as we in government worked to fix the terrible damage inflicted by our predecessors in government. It was a significant achievement last week, despite the fact that the Leader of Fianna Fáil told the House in February that the idea we could unilaterally renegotiate the programme was wrong. He also told the Leader of the Labour Party at the time to stop pretending that we could dictate to the ECB and everybody else.

If he had dictated, he would have secured a write-down.

The Sinn Féin spokesperson at the time, Deputy Mary Lou McDonald, told the House on 26 September that it was clear the Government's "so-called negotiating strategy on banking debt is in tatters."

I stand by that.

Despite all that was said, any observation by any unbiased person would see the best possible deal for this country was achieved last week. However, it is only one step in the path of recovery. I agree with the Deputy that there must be a social dividend from the incremental progress we are making because, in truth, the people have taken an enormous burden and it is to them the vast bulk of the credit for the steady progress on the road to recovery we have achieved is due.

On the point raised by the Deputy on the property tax, as he knows it was part of the commitments solemnly signed into by the predecessor Government of which he was part and to be delivered. The detail of the structure of that will be discussed in minute details when the legislative provisions are brought to the House in the coming weeks.

I have no problem graciously acknowledging the fact that a deal was done last week on the promissory notes.

A good deal.

Fair play to the Deputy.

He can apologise now for putting the country into this mess.

In fact, the Minister probably got more acknowledgment for this from Fianna Fáil than he did from some of his backbenchers who are still unhappy that the debt has been socialised on to the sovereign.

What about four years ago?

The point I am making is that Labour did not dictate to Frankfurt because it got no debt write-down unlike the claims of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when he was in opposition and claimed it was Labour's way or Frankfurt's way.

Fianna Fáil got no write-down either.

It was Fianna Fáil's mess.

The deal was an achievement but for Labour to claim it put the gun to Mario Draghi's head and threatened to pull the trigger is an absolute bluff. There is an agreement that will benefit people but only if the Government decides that a social divided is required from it.

Many families are out there in huge distress. They did not support the parties opposite for cuts to child benefit, increases in PRSI or to see a property tax foisted on them when they have not ability to pay everyday household bills. This is predominantly the case in Dublin and other commuter-belt areas.

Did this Government bring in the troika?

This is predominantly the case in Dublin and other commuter-belt areas.

It is Fianna Fáil's mess.

No one is taking Deputy Kelleher seriously.

It is Fianna Fáil's mess.

You seem to have hit a raw nerve there Billy.

It is Fianna Fáil's mess.

When Deputy Keating heckles me, I really do think I am making progress.

Deputy Kelleher is well able for it.

The ability to pay the property tax has to be examined. There has been some fraying around the edges but the majority of people will be obligated to pay a property tax whether they can afford it, put food on the table or oil in the tank.

That is Fianna Fáil's legacy.

This is about middle Ireland trying its best to pay health insurance and other costs that the State does not take up.

Did this Government bring in the troika?

Ronaldo Durkan there needs a red card.

Fianna Fáil's criticism of this Government's strategy is based on its denial that it brought this country to the brink of economic ruin.

When the Minister was in opposition he called for us to spend more and tax less.

You were a member of the worst Government in the history of this State that wrecked our economy.

The Minister should read his party's manifesto.

Hear, hear.

We want to look forward, not backwards.

It was a Healy-Rae mess.

Stay quiet over there and show some manners and show respect to the Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

It is about time Deputy Healy-Rae owned up to what he did.

What Deputy Griffin said is a disgrace.

We do not want to hear that.

I want order please. Deputies Griffin and Healy-Rae can do this elsewhere.

I agree with the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. It is a disgrace.

All of Deputy Kelleher's finger-pointing and shouting cannot deny the fact that two years ago a new Government came in to pick up the pieces of the broken economy and is now well on the way, step by step, with the help of the people to fix the destruction Fianna Fáil left behind in its wake.

We do need to broaden the tax base because Fianna Fáil left us in a situation where we could not pay for day-to-day expenses and we are borrowing at the rate of over €1 billion a month.

The Minister was promising to cut taxes and so forth.

Up to 30% of our tax base collapsed because Fianna Fáil had shrunk it. We need to broaden the tax base.

The Minister was promising to cut taxes when he was in opposition.

Part of that is to have a property-based tax that is analogous to every other developed country across the world.

So the Minister supports it.

The detail of the property tax will be brought through step by step-----

So it is not the troika that wants it.

The Deputy can shout me down all he likes. The tax will be debated in this House step by step. It will be done in as fair a way as we can in the circumstances Deputy Kelleher's party left this country.

Hear, hear.

Why is the Government only giving 20 minutes to debate it?

The Deputies opposite have no shame.

Will the Government give us half an hour for this debate?