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

We need an honest debate. The bulk of the new burden we propose would be on the 10% or 15% of people on very high earnings. It would finance real relief for the vast majority of people who earn between €30,000 and €60,000. They have been hammered with the universal social charge, property tax and water charges, which are regressive and disproportionately hit people on low and middle incomes. These are the real people and the Minister knows it well as he talks to them on the doorstep. The idea the majority of people on the doorsteps to whom he or I speak earn in excess of €100,000, €150,000 or €200,000 is nonsense. I do not understand why the Minister is not willing to impose an extra burden on them rather than continually hitting low and middle income earners.

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