John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I will have to do so.

Irish people are being ripped off left, right and centre. One in seven children in Ireland lives in poverty. That is a dramatic statistic, and the Government continues to impose higher charges on people. It is further widening the divide between those with and those without, and while many people are financially stable, that number will decrease if the Government continues its current practice of raising taxes.

The level of competitiveness in the economy is being diminished in terms of the spending value of a weekly wage by indirect VAT, PRSI charges and the stacked-up charges on people operating businesses. Small companies who employ people get little support from the State. The economy has been built by small companies.

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