Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are in the same space in believing USC should be reduced progressively in so far as it applies to people on low and middle incomes. If one examines the Fine Gael election manifesto, one will note it was never the intention to abolish the USC for those on high incomes. There was a proposal to reduce it but it was to be replaced by another tax. It might not be called the USC but would have the same effect on income, and there would be the same flow. If one looks at the detail, one will see that while there was a commitment to some reduction for those on higher incomes, there was not a proposal to abolish the charge completely without substituting it with an alternative tax.

On corporation tax, the Deputy states that, with all the talk of tax, we should concentrate on the corporate sector to collect more revenue. That is essentially the point he was making. However, since 2014, because of the reforms we introduced, among others things, we have had revenue from the corporate sector. Corporation tax revenue has increased from under €4 billion to over €7 billion. That is a very significant increase. We deliberately discussed and brought in reforming measures that resulted in that. This was in light of the work of the OECD, in respect of which we are taking a leading role and are fully compliant. Companies are more profitable but they are also paying more tax now.

On the other series of questions the Deputy posed, they are a matter for the Revenue Commissioners the first instance.