Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I assure the Acting Chairman that I will be brief. I am firmly of the view that these amendments are reasonable. I ask the Minister of State, in the interests of fairness, to consider what has been said by the proposers and other contributors. The levy is not equitable, as I argued yesterday on Second Stage. Public sector workers at the top of the scale should be the first to feel the pain, not those at the lower end of the scale. If we are to achieve fairness and justice, this is what should happen. Unfortunately, however, that is not what is provided for in this legislation.

Is there a reason for the exclusion of the Judiciary, as set out in section 1, from these measures? Why are the chief executive officers and senior managers of semi-State bodies exempt? Some of these people are in receipt of higher salaries than that of the Taoiseach. Is it fair that lower paid workers in the public service, earning €20,000, €30,000 or even €40,000, are being asked to pay this levy while those on much higher salaries, who can afford to pay, are not being asked to contribute in a proportionate way. This is neither just nor fair. That is why 120,000 people marched in protest last week. It is why gardaí and others are agitating. Low paid workers have mortgages and other financial commitments.

There is no denying that jobs are being lost in the private sector. However, as Senator O'Toole observed, there are also many well paid and secure jobs in that sector. Those workers are not being penalised. Any legislation that comes from this House should be equitable in its treatment of all the people of the nation. This legislation does not meet that requirement.