Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Sinn Féin voted against every single measure for the past four years. My favourite line is, "the progressive tax system". What does that mean for middle Ireland? They want more money for the health services, more money for education, more money for justice but they do not like the USC and they want lower income tax. How will they pay for it? They will give people the alternative. We will set out where we started and where we are; Sinn Féin has to set out an alternative and there is no plan. The last people who want an election are the Opposition because its members would have to say what they want to achieve and they can achieve nothing. I want all the things they want but we will have to pay for it. I refer to this progressive tax system and I wonder what it will mean for middle-income earners, for middle Ireland and for taxation. Today's motion is a charade. The party who tabled it have left the Chamber. That is how much they valued this debate from the first. It is time to move on and to grow up.

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