Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have paid attention to what the younger Deputies have said. I have been through the experience of raising a family. I do not see maternity benefit as something that justly falls within an income tax assessment. One could take this type of thinking further and claim that the help provided by maternal and paternal grandmothers is a benefit-in-kind to families and should be taxed at the prevailing rates of child care. We must be very careful as a society not to pull the rug out from under what is important to social well-being.

It is interesting that the Department of Social Protection says this policy will yield €40 million in a full year. Corporation profits are approximately €40 billion per year.