Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

Today, every local authority in the country has been notified of savage cutbacks in the housing for older people grant scheme. That scheme was used to insulate homes, install windows and doors, and generally keep homes warm. Without borrowing another cent we could reverse these savage cuts to the heating and fuel schemes in recent budgets. The Government says it is saving €1 billion per year on the promissory notes deal. Last week, the Minister for Finance told me that the top 1% of income earners in this country earn €8.74 billion, which is an average of €404,000 each or an after-tax figure of €249,000. Yet we have no wealth tax or assets tax. The Minister would be well able to restore the cuts she introduced in the last two budgets on the basis of those two issues.

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