Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I can only imagine the Ministers, Deputies O'Dea, Dermot Ahern and the rest, if the country had been plunged into this nightmare when they were in opposition. The enormous figures are frightening — a general Government deficit of over €12 billion and the debt equity ratio rising to 43%. How could we have been plunged into such a hole? How could there have been such a transformation after the Taoiseach personally, as Minister for Finance, brought in four budgets? Yet, we have ended up in this cul-de-sac. I join my colleague, Deputy Quinn, and others in opposing this crude method of levying money on the poorest people with the lowest incomes. There is no exemption. It does not start from an income of €50,000. There is a tiered structure at the top for people on very high earnings, from €100,000 upwards, but casual or part-time workers and low earners generally will be hit. That cannot be justified and is not in keeping with the protestations by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance to look after people at the bottom of the ladder.

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