Dr. Seán Healy:

In regard to our proposal to increase social welfare rates by €5 per week, which we have shown can be funded, we were conscious of the needs of low paid workers. We have done much of the research that has exposed the situation in which such individuals find themselves. Consequently, we also propose an increase in tax credits of €5 per week. This is not a dramatic sum but it would put an additional €5 per week, or €260 per year, into the pockets of low paid workers, who would be the main beneficiaries. An increase of €5 per week will not make much difference to those on high incomes but it will have a dramatic impact on people on low pay. We are proposing an increase in both, therefore. We also proposed that tax credits be made refundable on the basis of research we have carried out over a number of years. The only beneficiaries of making the two main tax credits refundable are those on low pay. This is why we fully costed a budget to show how these approaches can be funded.

We do not consider the text tax as being extended to Facebook because it is a free platform. However, we produced a number of proposals in respect of nutrition, texts and Internet gambling taxes, where we see that a certain amount of money can be raised. The money would not change the entire face of the budget but it would make a difference.

Social housing has been a major concern for us for quite some time. The problem with the Government's current approach is highlighted in the story Deputy Fleming told. It has moved towards a situation in which it has more or less eliminated financing for local authority construction of private housing. The problem is that 100,000 households are in need of social housing and on waiting lists. There does not appear to be anything in the current process to address that problem. It is basically depending on the private sector to deliver but if options are offered by the private sector and the banks are not providing the level of loans that would make a difference to low to middle income people, we have a serious problem. We would go further than Deputy Fleming suggestion of a service for financing low cost housing for those on low to middle incomes.

Part of the investment programme we propose would see an investment in social housing and trying to meet those needs.