Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

We brought in the lowest tax wedge. Do not take my word for it. The OECD said over the last ten to 12 years we had the lowest tax wedge. In other words, our people paid the lowest amount of tax of any other country in the OECD. If we are guilty of anything, that is what we should be given credit for.

Again, we have the highest standard of living in the EU. Even to this day, despite the cutbacks in recent times, we still have the highest standard of living. That is the record we stand over.

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