Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The IMF is an exceptionally important organisation and, like any organisation that gives advice to government, it tends to be in favour of tax-broadening measures. My experience of bringing in tax base-broadening measures, however, is that they are rarely as straightforward as we might expect. We would have to think very carefully about bringing in significant additional tax-raising measures given the cost of living challenges we are facing. In every budget I have announced, certain taxes have increased. I will, of course, listen carefully to what the IMF has to say, and I am meeting its representatives tomorrow morning myself. I am well aware of the challenges many are already facing. We already have our own Commission on Taxation and Welfare, which is due to report later this year and to give some indications to me in September. We will take all that into account when we are getting ready for the budget.