Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is fair to say there has been significant enhancement of workers’ rights over the last two and a half years since this Government came into office in terms of the Sick Leave Act 2022, the payment of wages and the Redundancy Payments (Amendment) Act 2022. Crucially, and I would have attended the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, programme last year, the report of the high-level review group on collective bargaining established under the auspices of the Government’s Labour Employer Economic Forum was published in October of last year and the recommendations are now being considered by the Department. That was considered a breakthrough report by all involved in those discussions.

In respect of the budget, the summer economic statement will be published as normal before the summer recess and that will give the broad envelope in terms of the taxation package. We have been reducing taxation for the last three years. I know the Opposition would like to increase taxes, not reduce them, and that is their stated position. We believe there should be a reduction in taxation but the precise manner in which you do that and who you target it at is something for the Government collectively to engage in. The Ministers, Deputy McGrath and Deputy Donohoe, will be meeting with the Government in respect of that summer economic statement and the overall envelope in terms of expenditure. Last year, it was €1 billion to €1.1 billion in tax and close to €6 billion in expenditure on new measures and existing levels of service, apart altogether from the €4 billion once-off. Once those envelopes are decided by the two Ministers, we can then get down to the real work of working out how we allocate that.

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