Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy is seeking to suggest the decision has been made to tax lump sums in the future. No such decision has been made whatsoever. If I may paraphrase the Minister - I do not have the speech in front of me - my recollection is his statement states that it was considered, it was a matter with which he was not proceeding and would revisit again in December in his next budget. As I recall those were the statements made by the Minister for Finance regarding this matter. I am not going to anticipate any decision from him in that respect at this point. I also make the point that there is not as such an entitlement to early retirement. It is a question of whether a person, who may be eligible to apply, in fact obtains the consent of the employer to so be provided with the opportunity. Obviously the tax laws that apply at any given time are the ones that apply on one's retirement. I cannot give any assurances one way or the other in respect of decisions that have not been made. That is a double hypothetical question to which I cannot give an accurate response.

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