Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

I thought for a wonderful minute that Deputy Mansergh, for once, was going to agree with an Opposition amendment, only to have my hopes dashed that the outer limit of his tolerance for equity stretched only to where the Minister has already put the benchmark. No doubt we shall keep trying to persuade Deputy Mansergh of the merits of the change.

I do not want to hold up the House, but I believe the €17,500 figure is just the minimum wage. The fears Deputy Mansergh has that the whole equity structure of the tax system will come tumbling down because of people providing care for three children being allowed this exemption from making a return if they are earning less than €17,500, is ill-founded. I am disappointed the Minister will not accept the amendment. We have not managed to get any amendment by him yet. At least last year we got one through. There is one later, however, which he has conceded to Deputy Burton, so——

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