Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I may take advantage of the time. I listened to much of the debate and I think it is important for us to remember what happened on budget day. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, put forward an €11 billion package to try to alleviate what we know to be an incredibly difficult period for people in Ireland. We had that €11 billion. That was not borrowed money; that was money that was created by the Irish people. We have used that to protect people as much as is possible from external forces outside of Ireland in terms of inflation and growing energy costs. That situation of €11 billion is very different from many other countries. We should only look across the water where politicians are talking about spending cuts whereas we in this House are talking about an €11 billion package to protect workers and families and their jobs.

We need to draw a line under that because we know populist politics has a cost. By the way, populist politics is not something only used by those on the left - I am not suggesting that it is. However, populist politics across the political spectrum has a cost and when the maths are added up at the end, that cost often falls on ordinary people.

We are talking today about the Finance Bill. We do not talk about much of what was in the Social Welfare Bill. I want to reflect on what the ESRI, said about the budget, however It said many things but, of course, I will pick the quote that is of most advantage. We cannot forget what it said, however. It stated:

The government's approach to insulating households from the rise in energy prices has been effective. Targeted welfare measures combined with universal household energy credits will do more for most households ... than had welfare payments risen in line with inflation this year and next [year].

To me, that says this is a Government that wants to protect people, not a Government that somehow wants to unprogressively punish people. Yes, there are many measures in here for social welfare recipients but there are also measures for working people. I have no shame in defending the increase in the standard tax rates. I would say particularly to employers who are struggling to recruit people that there are measures in this Bill, including one-off special payments that avoid tax, which employers should be applying to workers. There is the increase in bonus payments from one to two and from €500 to €1,000. I will let Deputy Alan Farrell take over the remainder of the time.

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