Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

I bring the Tánaiste back to what he stated in the Chamber yesterday on the household charge when he asserted that people wished to pay. Members of the Government have been stating all week that the reason 83% of householders have not registered and paid as of last night is they all are waiting until the last minute. I suggest to the Tánaiste that he is delusional about what is happening in this regard. I put it to him that this is on the Marie Antoinette scale of delusion and that he is completely out of touch. I also put it to him that the herd of elephants stampeding from Malin Head to Mizen Head completely unseen by the Government is evidence that there is a massive revolt under way among the ordinary, decent, compliant tax-paying majority in society against a new tier of taxation that they understand will quickly rise to a figure of €1,000 and above.

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