Dáil debates

Tuesday, 4 October 2022

Ceisteanna - Questions

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

4:30 pm

Photo of Paul MurphyPaul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

Liz Truss has been forced to perform a humiliating U-turn concerning her plans to reduce the top rate of income tax from 45% to 40% for those earning more than £150,000. The move was widely condemned as a tax cut for the wealthiest. It was met by mass protests right across Britain from the Enough is Enough cost-of-living coalition. The top rate of income tax in this country, however, is 40%. This is the same rate that the Tories were attempting to bring it down to and were forced to retreat. The latest development is that backbench Tories are in revolt against a move to cut, in real terms, payments to social welfare recipients, that is, to have increases in those payments that are lower than the rate of inflation. Again, this is something this Government actually did just last week. Our budget proposals included a series of measures to increase and have new rates of tax for those earning more than €100,000. Those proposals would raise €2.5 billion, which would be enough to allow for the permanent end of poverty. What does the Taoiseach think of his Government's policies being to the right of the Tories?

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