Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

More than 750,000 low income earners pay no income tax compared to less than 400,000 when we entered office. Ireland has the lowest tax burden on single persons on the average wage in the European Union and one of the lowest in the OECD. For a married couple with one earner, two children and average earnings, we have the lowest tax rate in the OECD. After inflation has been taken into account, a person on the average industrial wage——

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