Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

An additional €98 million in supports for families and children is provided for in budget 2016. Expenditure in 2015 on children is €1.9 billion, a significant amount.

I cannot read minds. As stated by Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh, as this issue was not teased out on Committee Stage, I do not know the theory behind Deputy Thomas Pringle's amendment. The outcome of acceptance of the amendment, as drafted, would be that the children of the squeezed middle which includes factory workers, gardaí, teachers and so on would be excluded from the increase in child benefit. I am sure that is not Deputy Pringle's intention but that would be outcome if the amendment was accepted.

On the committee report referred to by Deputy Willie O'Dea, he will recall that the Government imposed an additional 1% universal social charge on earnings above €100,000 per annum and in the past four years has removed hundreds of thousands of low paid workers from liability for the charge. There have been significant changes in this regard. As pointed out, regardless of how many accountants a person employs, payment of the universal social charge cannot be avoided, which is good. Far too many people got away with not paying taxes of one kind or another because they were able to afford the best advice in that regard. I do not, therefore, propose to accept the amendment.

On the issue raised by Deputy Denis Naughten, I am not ignoring it. It is an old chestnut which we have debated many times.

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