Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am surprised by the Minister's comment about this issue. I thought I was listening to a Fine Gael Minister saying that one cannot keep pushing up the tax rate. The Minister sounds like a convert. In respect of the Economic Management Council, has he been captured by Fine Gael? I worry about the Labour Party and the spending line Ministers, particularly in health, social protection and education. Those Ministers are relying on this Minister to keep the Fine Gael side at bay but when he comes in here to sing the Fine Gael song that one cannot keep pushing up tax rates, I worry about who is looking at the people who will see unnecessary cuts next week because of that Fine Gael attitude that seems to have infected the Minister.

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