Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I am sorry. The biggest single mistake the Government ever made was in the budget last October. The Government believed it was fair to charge 1% of the special levy on a person earning €18,000 and on one that was earning €99,000. That emphasises where the Government lost touch with reality. Ministers could see no difference between a person earning €99,000 and €18,000.

One thing the people always seek in the political leaders they elect is fair play. People want to believe there will be fairness in the system. There is no fairness in what the Government was doing because it had gone beyond that realm. The Government is removed from reality because it was used to the money coming in in bundles from the building industry and the Government thought it would never see a poor day again.

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