Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

A number of questions have been asked and I will answer the last one first. I would ask ASTI members to come under the umbrella of the rest of the public service. That is all. In respect of the notion of rubber-stamping, it was a democratic vote. Members were asked to vote and they made their own democratic decision to exclude themselves. It was not a case of rubber-stamping anything. In Deputy Wallace's view of the world, if they agree, it is a rubber-stamp while if they disagree, it is a democratic decision.

In respect of whether we have a progressive or regressive income tax system, my judgment is predicated on the independent analysis of the OECD. I will send Deputy Wallace the tables.

See this speech in context