Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

What of personal taxation? The Government is supposed to have presented something fair to ordinary families who pay tax. Where is the reform in today's package? The reform, such as it is, is a sum total on personal credits of €2.50 per week. What happened to home carers? They get nothing out of the proposed PAYE increase. Home carers who stay at home and look after families get the same tax relief as they got five years ago. In that time those who went out to work have seen an increase of more than €900 in their allowances under the PAYE code, but the home carer has been denied that benefit. What sort of policy for families is that? Not only are they caught on individualisation with a penalty that could cost up to €5,000, but year after year the Government has tightened the screw on the family with one spouse staying at home. They are now losing €950 on those credits that the Government has denied them. That is the reality of the Government's family policy.

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