Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

The Minister described these measures as more equitable. This is completely wrong because low income earners will be paying a substantially higher proportion of their incomes then high income earners. That is grossly unfair. The Government could have introduced a wealth tax but it chose not to do so.

The universal social charge is not a social charge. It is a tax, and that is the end of it. A person earning the minimum wage has already been tapped for €40 per week. The Government now proposes to go back to the economic carcass of that person for a further €360 per annum. Can the Minister for Health and Children confirm that people on the new minimum wage will have to pay a charge of €360 per annum under this so called social charge? This is far from fair or equitable.

I welcome the abolition of the income and health levies, which were unfair. However, they did, at least, contain some element of relativity in that they captured higher income individuals.

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