Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

We are in a situation where the Finance Bill will get the most cursory review. Essentially, there is no opportunity to have a proper, full Second Stage debate, not simply on the content of the Finance Bill but the commitments made by the Minister at budget time, for example, to either tax or means test child benefit. There is no opportunity to have a debate in the House about such a significant change in Government policy and whether it can technically be implemented. Women in Ireland deserve an opportunity to hear what the Government has in prospect for them. The one benefit women rearing children get from the State is child benefit but the Government is preparing to launch an all-out assault. There is no opportunity for women Members to contribute to the debate. We oppose the guillotine.

There is also the situation in respect to the tax changes proposed by the Obama Administration in the United States. There will be no opportunity whatever to debate the implication of these and what the Government proposes in respect of them. The Minister for Finance acknowledged yesterday that the average, effective tax take for a family on an income of €80,000 is 36%. The marginal rate will be from 51% to 53%.

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