Opposition TDs claimed the Government is rushing the Finance Bill through the Oireachtas without time for a proper debate on tax reliefs, which are "effectively the same as public spending".
Labour's finance spokeswoman Joan Burton claimed deputies would have less than 15 hours over three days to consider the legislation and the 1,000-page report on tax breaks.
Fine Gael's spokesman Richard Bruton said that "tax reliefs are effectively the same as public spending", spending that dwarfed that of five Government departments, yet "there is a cursory examination of them".
Tánaiste Mary Harney said a considerable amount of time was being given at committee stage to the debate "and we are not in a position to give any more". She pointed out that over a three-day period there would be almost 20 hours of debate.
Ms Burton said the committee stage debate was the one opportunity to discuss the tax relief report. The Finance Bill "proposes to extend tax breaks significantly, not just to hospitals but to psychiatric institutions and mental care centres". She said a private hospital development worth €100 million would result in tax breaks of €42 million. "That will all be done without any debate on the cost or benefit to the State," she said.
Mr Bruton praised Minister for Finance Brian Cowen for having a review of the tax reliefs but said "he is pushing ahead with new tax reliefs without taking the lessons that were clearly set out in the review, that proper evaluation of new or extended reliefs must be made before taxpayers' money is committed".
Dan Boyle (Green) said more time was needed to examine a number of issues including the evasion of responsibility by the Government for large areas of public expenditure.
