Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are raising revenue to improve public services. Changes we have made in local property tax and carbon taxation are bringing in revenue. We are using the additional revenue coming in from those changes to tax policy to pay for improved public services. We will see tax revenue increase across next year due to the effects of a growing economy. Deputy Doherty and I have different views on this issue. I believe that it is not just about the average level of taxation but also about the marginal level of taxation. It is about how much tax people pay as their incomes go up due to their hard work, their entrepreneurship, their getting a promotion or their taking on different or more demanding work within our public services.

The return of those kinds of marginal rates of taxation would threaten the competitiveness of our economy and the ability of our public service to attract those public servants we require to do important work, particularly in our hospitals and especially consultants. I am not accepting this amendment for that reason.

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