Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

Today we see no increase in tax credits, the small payments that give a little relief to the people at the bottom. There is no increase, not even for the personal credit, not for the home carer credit, not for the disabled child credit, not for the age exemption credit. None of these people has got a cent in the budget's concessions.

Even on indexation of the bands, the Minister offered only a little over half of indexation. This means that every person in the country will have to face paying €292 more than they should had their taxes and bands been indexed. That is the case for single people; it is double that for couples.

The Minister is hitting ordinary people at their most vulnerable times. He has decided to haul back the relief for people who have large medical expenses. These are the people in nursing homes or people who have expensive illnesses. They are being told they will no longer get relief at their marginal tax rate.

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