Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

I never said we should carry on regardless. In fact, I asked for a major change of policy. The Taoiseach will not bring the country out of the depths into which it has been plunged by this crazed system in four years. Austerity will make matters far worse. Surely he should have learned this from the plight and suffering of the Greek people. He did not answer the question. Why does he leave untouched, for example, the €219 billion of net assets and wealth held by the top 5% - the very wealthiest - in the State? Why does he not look there? Why does he not look at the top 5% of income earners, the wealthiest of whom would have take-home pay of more than €400,000 each a year? The Government attacks young disabled people-----

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