Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The Taoiseach remarked on how surprised people were in Croatia at the level of the national minimum wage here. The Taoiseach will agree that the Irish would be surprised at the price of a bale of briquettes, a bag of coal or a loaf of bread in Croatia. Does the Taoiseach agree that his position on the services directive is central to the process of social partnership and new talks thereon, and needs to be made clear? Unless we repudiate the country of origin principle, airplane-loads of Croatians and Poles will come here to work under conditions applicable in their country of origin. No matter how diligently I search I cannot find out the position of the Government on that and I ask the Taoiseach to outline it.

Does the Taoiseach believe that the commitment given by the Government at the outset of Sustaining Progress that 80% of Irish workers would pay tax at not more than the standard rate is an impediment to a new social contract? Between 66% and 67% of people pay tax at the standard rate, at a huge cost to Irish workers. Does the Taoiseach believe the failure to index the tax bands is the biggest stealth tax of all?

There was a specific commitment in Sustaining Progress to build a net additional 10,000 houses, but at the end of the programme the houses are not built.

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