Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I assure Deputy Sherlock one would not have to be a Fianna Fáil voter to be disappointed with this budget. People are very disappointed because the most vulnerable in society have again been hit. I am annoyed with the proposals for VAT, cigarettes and petrol. The Minister went for the soft target with regard to VAT as it will hit a wide range of areas and many middle-income earners will be affected. The poor and the vulnerable will also be affected. The Ministers were thinking of their own comfort zone when this budget was being considered at Cabinet. They do not have to go to the petrol pump and fill up the car because they have ministerial cars. The Government is completely at sea. I refer to the 8 cent per litre increase on petrol against a backdrop of rising prices for petrol. I am surprised the Minister did not hit diesel prices as well. The Government has not considered areas which would provide more money for the Exchequer. The price of cigarettes will be increased by 50 cent and this is a health consideration and the price of a bottle of wine will be increased by 50 cent. I ask the Tánaiste to say what action the Government has taken in recent years to curb under age drinking. It has done nothing. Will an extra 50 cent on cigarettes stop the teenager from smoking? I do not think so. The same number of teenagers will smoke tomorrow as did today.

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