John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 1:

"That Seanad Éireann, bearing in mind the 2002 programme for Government promise to 'keep down personal and business taxes' and the undertaking by the Minister for Finance prior to the last general election that no cutbacks were being planned 'secretly or otherwise', notes that

—the Government has implanted 27 taxes by stealth over the last two years,

—170,000 people are now on the live register,

—30,000 industrial jobs have been lost since 2001,

—27,000 redundancy notices were served last year,

—the community employment scheme faces the largest cuts in its history,

—16 savage social welfare cuts were passed in budget 2004 alone,

—the Irish economy continues to be one of the least competitive in the European Union due to the high cost base facing Irish businesses,

—Irish workers endured an income tax increase because of the refusal of the Government to increase tax bands in line with inflation, thus artificially boosting income tax receipts for this year,

—young homebuyers now pay 45% of the value of their home in taxation,

—Ireland has been described by the United Nations as one of the most unequal countries in the western world,

—over 70,000 households remain in consistent poverty,

—300,000 children are now living in households whose income is below €175 per week,

and

—the national development plan continues to run behind time and grossly over budget and calls on the Government and the Minister for Finance to refocus their fiscal and economic policies to ensure value for taxpayers' money, an easing of the tax burden on middle and low-income earners, a tackling of poverty and an improvement in competitiveness."

I was struck that Senator Mansergh spent nearly 12 minutes speaking about the Fine Gael amendment while scarcely mentioning the Government motion.