Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If Deputies look at the budget in the round, which they should do, they will see that the Department of Finance analysis shows this was a progressive budget. Those on the lowest incomes gain the most whether it is done by centiles or any way Deputies want. These are the facts. This was a progressive budget. What Deputy Shortall has done is to have focused solely on the tax package. Some 35% of income earners in Ireland do not pay any income tax at all. That is the very good thing. We do not tax people at all in Ireland who are on very low incomes. How could one benefit from a tax package if one pays no income tax at all? That is like saying somebody with no children did not benefit from the increase in child benefit or someone who lives with five other people-----

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