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

Actually, the Deputy is right. I take that back. I should not have said that. The Deputy is fully entitled to make the point and I regret saying that to him. I respect the committee and the contributions that are made. What I will not take back is the point that the Deputy is talking about what I said in 2016 and 2017 when this morning I could not find what he said a few weeks ago. I will not take that back. If the Deputy wants, I can compare what Sinn Féin's website was like this morning and what it is like now. That is the difference.

Regarding USC, I have explained why that is not a policy I have implemented. I had hoped it would be possible to get a degree of integration between PRSI and USC but it turned out that could not be done in a simple or clear way. I acknowledge that. I have been before this committee on that report and explained why. What I have done instead, particularly within this budget, is tried to achieve the aim I outlined in 2018 or 2019 of ensuring somebody on an average wage does not pay the higher rate of income tax. With the exception of Covid and Brexit, when I did not make any changes to tax, I have implemented that ambition step by step. I have done it in a way that is affordable and I have done it inside the parameters that I committed to in different budgets.