Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I intend to take more earners out of the tax net today. I am increasing the employee tax credit by €220 per year and the basic personal tax credit by €50 per year single and €100 per year for married couples. This will ensure that all those on the current minimum wage will remain completely outside the tax net in 2006. This will remove from the tax net nearly 52,000 low-income taxpayers who would otherwise be in the tax net next year.

See this speech in context