Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The differential between those at the top and those at the bottom is growing wider every year, including in this country, where the top 10% of people have 14 times the income of those at the bottom. It is in that context that the financial transaction tax arises. It was proposed specifically to deal with the impact of globalisation and the unequal distribution of wealth, including world poverty.

The Taoiseach has met Prime Minister Cameron, the major objector to a financial transaction tax in Europe, so why did he not challenge him on the issue? Why does the Taoiseach not publicly challenge Prime Minister Cameron and offer leadership and example by stating that it is a moral and humanitarian imperative for Ireland and Britain, Europe as a whole and the world to impose some kind of tax on the enormous wealth of financial and multinational corporations? They have all the wealth while millions of people in the world starve and go hungry. Why has the Taoiseach not offered leadership on that issue rather than simply using excuses such as that Britain's objections mean we cannot do it or we must wait for others to act?

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