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

I wish to clarify that while there is obvious disagreement on all this, it is on individual earners. It is not on the joint cumulative earnings of a couple. The Minister of State's assertion is not the case.

Our big problem in this country is we do not have enough teachers and nurses and young people coming out of university who could be doing these jobs. I refer also to occupational therapists, speech and language therapists or construction workers. These are workers earning under €90,000. Were the USC to be abolished, all those people would be much more likely either to stay in this country or, if they are abroad, to come back.

If the Minister of State states he is hearing about the entry point in to the tax system, he is talking to people who are very different to those to whom I am talking. Workers to whom I am talking have been talking about how much they hate the USC since it came in. They ask me to look at their pay cheque stating that is what was imposed on them because of the economic crash where they were made pick up the can for the bankers and all the rest of it. It is a huge chunk out of their earnings which has significantly added to the burden of ordinary workers and it is now an active disincentive for ordinary workers who we need to stay in this country or to come back from Britain, Canada or Australia.

We propose to take that burden, which was imposed because of the economic crimes of bankers, off the backs of workers and to pay for it by increasing the tax rates for people once they start to earn over €100,000. Incidentally, for the information of the former Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, in case there is any confusion, those between €90,000 and €100,000 will continue to pay USC. Once one earns more than €100,000 one would pay a higher tax rate, once one earns more than €140,000 one would pay a higher tax rate again, once over €180,000 one would pay a higher tax rate again, and once over €250,000, a higher rate again. To my mind, that is completely just. Frankly, nobody should be earning over €250,000 a year. It is obscene.

I am not in the least worried about how those earning €250,000 or €180,000 will feel about this but I am extremely worried about the teachers, the nurses, the construction workers and the care workers we need in all sorts of areas of the economy leaving this country or being unwilling to come back when we need them desperately.

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