Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I read through Social Justice Ireland's submissions, which refer to tax credit refunds and so forth.

What is the group's opinion on the concern about taking people out of the tax net? It is not a smart thing to do. There are other ways of helping. It is not about less support. My belief, rightly or wrongly, is that if people are paying taxes, it is empowering. They feel that they have a right to demand more of their State because they are paying for it. I am wary of taking lower income workers out of the tax net. It is not about penalising anyone. There are other ways to use the money.

Would Social Justice Ireland like to see lower income workers out of the tax net or should there be some amount of payment as a psychological tool so that people feel that they have a right to demand justice, equality, services, fair play and so forth?