Professor John FitzGerald:

Average earnings are between €35,000 and €40,000. The figure does not go much above €40,000 if one takes all wage income and divides it by the number of people employed. There are complications, but I tend to work on the basis of €35,000 to €40,000.

On the question of whether the tax system is progressive, I seem to remember research from the dim and distant past when I was a middle-aged economist conducted by colleagues in the ESRI, Professor Brian Nolan and others, which suggested that what made the system progressive was the welfare system. We have a targeted, not a universalist, system and try to get better value for money from welfare payments. Dr. Donal de Buitléir talked about the two Gini coefficients, which provide a very good measure. One could undertake a research project to work it out, but it is my suspicion that it is the welfare system that makes it progressive.

The Chairman referred to inheritance tax. I do not see why we should leave money to children and think my children will buy into this.