Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I commend Deputy Varadkar on introducing the Bill, which tries to close the gap on a graph. Some 5% represents €400 per annum per individual. If one gives €400 to a family on the margins, it probably means the family will not go to another agency, such as the community welfare officer service, to be bailed out and to have some bills paid. The effect will be a reduction in money spent, as the amount will not be transferred from one part to another. If one gives €400 to someone who has money to spend, the chances are that it will allow him or her to spend that money somewhere in the system, which will include VAT and keep someone in a job.

The list in my hand details a death by a thousand cuts. It includes the stealth taxes sneaked upwards by the Government in every budget when no one was paying attention thanks to the big ticket items on the agenda. For the past two weeks, we have been told in state of the union speeches by the Taoiseach and others that we have "turned a corner" and are on the road to recovery. Today's figures show an all-time high of 439,000 people unemployed and 255 people losing their jobs per day, but we have "turned a corner". God help us because we are actually bouncing along the floor, not turning any corner. As has been stated, the Government has been slow-----

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