Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Every year I submit budgets to the Minister. They are all in his bottom drawer, I think. He told a few of us down through the years that he puts them all in his bottom drawer. For example, is there not a case for having a higher rate of tax on those who are very highly paid - the tranche of taxpayers including Deputies, principal officers and so on - and earn more than €80,000? Is there not a case for grabbing more of that fiscal space?

I was going to send the Minister something on the health front and the waiting lists, which make for dismal reading, as does what we heard last night from Dublin City Council regarding 29,000 families and individuals on housing lists. Surely we need more fiscal space. As I suggested to IFAC and other bodies, is the economy not operating at well below maximum output if one considers housing and other capital expenditure?

As an example in that context, I point to our still very flimsy public transport system.