Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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We are not going to see eye to eye on the distributional impact of the measures we each propose but let us clarify two things. The Minister says that he did this because he wanted the 23% of income earners who pay tax at the higher rate to benefit because they will not benefit from the other measures that the Minister for Social Protection brought in. What measures that the Minister for Social Protection has introduced will benefit someone on €35,000? They are also locked out of those. Someone on €30,000 or €35,000 is not getting any of this nor will they benefit from the €0.75 billion package of the measure the Minister brought in.

We could go backward and forward all day on statistics and how we use them. I did not write it down but am I correct that Revenue informed the Minister that 33% are liable to pay tax at the 40% rate? I think that is what he said. What percentage actually pay tax at 40%? Is it not the case that when one takes those who use their tax credits, 23% of income earners will actually benefit from this measure? I think that is about 800,000 people.