Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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To pick up where we left off, we were listening to a Sinn Féin member. The hypocrisy of the position of Sinn Féin is amazing. I will read from an article on the Sinn Féin website. The headline reads, "Sinn Féin publish Dáil motion calling for the abolition of Universal Social Charge". I know that positions change depending on circumstances, but this is purely populism and nothing else. At that stage, it looked like that was the thing for Sinn Féin to do. Now, it is water charges and, next week, it will be something else. It is all for Sinn Féin to continue its populism. I will read out another point from the article, "The Universal Social Charge breaches the fundamental principle of progressive taxation - that those who have more should pay more". Our income tax system is based upon a progressive system. I will read out another point, "Sinn Féin is calling on the Government to abolish the Universal Social Charge and to ensure that all taxes and social insurance contributions are raised progressively so that those who have the most pay the most". Again, all of the OECD analysis of the Irish taxation system shows that that is already the case.

I ask Deputy Doherty not to be as blatantly political. There are 130 or 140 proposed amendments to this Bill. We will be here for six or eight weeks if we keep going like this. We have dealt with one amendment in three hours. There is work to be done and I want to get on with it.