Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The December Fiscal Assessment Report also notes that budget 2021 includes substantial permanent increases in spending of at least €5.4 billion. This spending provides for measures that would remain post-pandemic. The report says that this could rise to €8.5 billion after considering non-Exchequer areas and that "There is no sense as to how these [lasting increases] will be financed sustainably over the medium term." We are aware that the programme for Government commits to no increases in income tax or USC, to indexing bands and credits in line with earnings growth, and to focusing only on tax rises that focus on behaviours including carbon, sugar and plastic. Throughout the general election campaign Fine Gael attacked Sinn Féin for committing to a progressive increase in employers' PRSI. In Mr. Barnes' view, can the Government fund €5.4 billion increase in permanent taxation through increases in tax on sugar and plastic?