Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is correct, but it is a breach of the pledge to pensioners and members of pension funds. It is not necessary to go back to this pot to deprive people of their savings, scare them in this way and break solemn promises made in the House. If money is to be taken from the pensions industry, the answer is to take it from the fund managers and those taking out enormous sums for putting in an appalling performance, to put it at its mildest. That day the Taoiseach promised me that this would be examined, but not one word has been heard about it since.

It has been a very successful budget for many lobby groups. I was taken by some of the words of the Leader of the Opposition, Deputy Micheál Martin, which I heard on the monitor, when he spoke about a budget introduced by stealth and spin. He stated the Government's statement that there were no income tax increases was somewhat dishonest and deceptive. It is true that there are no income tax increases, but instead money will be taken from people's incomes. It is a very simple equation and the stealth is straightforward. Property tax is, in effect, an income tax. The figure of €250 million which will be raised to €500 million this year and which does not have to be discussed in the budget because it was so cleverly introduced last year is not anything except a confiscation of income at source. Everybody knows the money must be paid out of people's incomes if it is not paid voluntarily. Pay cheques will suffer.

The increase in DIRT is an appalling attack on income for those who have, in many cases, saved very little. It is being raised to 41%. This morning the Minister conceded the tax would actually be 45% when the add-ons were included. This is an enormous tax, particularly for pensioners and those with small savings. These people must pay. It is not voluntary. They must also pay prescription charges unless the Government wants them to die. They must pay for their burials. Their medical cards will be withdrawn which will result in enormous payments for them, while the telephone allowance is also gone. These are all, in effect, reductions in income, even if they are not technically income tax increases.

The headline figure and message is one which is in keeping with a great deal of the messages, including a message which came from a Minister of State, that the coping classes were being looked after. This was not agreed to by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport who stated it was neutral for the coping classes. It is worse than that.

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