Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach might acknowledge that I know something about forming budgets. It is, bluntly, a matter of taxation and expenditure. That is what all budgets come down to. I refer to the notion that the Taoiseach should dismiss the lowest paid in the country. Is it the case that they have got their bit? The line seems to be that the Government has taken them out of the USC net and that is enough for them. The 30% on the lowest incomes who are getting by will get nothing because they are not part of the coping classes on which the Taoiseach's focus groups are focused. He talked about learning from the mistakes of the past. If we have learned anything from them, it is that one cannot be all things to all men and women and that one cannot spread a bob for everybody and make a meaningful difference. If resources are scarce, the only progressive thing to do is to ensure we have quality public services which make a difference to the people who depend on them. I have instanced some examples, but many things could be done on the capital side. I will instance them again for the Taoiseach when we get closer to the budget, but let us have the debate, not a phoney war or kite flying by the Government and Fianna Fáil to test the temperature. Let us have a real debate in this House about what should the priorities be for the next year and the years beyond.

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