Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Unless we broaden the base of our taxation system, including increasing income taxes and looking at other forms of taxation in the future, we will not be able to provide sustainable public services at the level the people expect. That is the reason we are involved in a change in taxation systems. For obvious reasons, the Deputy likes to popularly portray that the reason we are doing that is the issue relating to the financial system but that is not the reason.

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