Dominic Hannigan (Labour)

I support Senators' calls for a debate in advance of the forthcoming mini-budget. The House must have a detailed discussion on tax rates. Many people are calling for a widening of the tax band. As my colleague in the other House, Deputy Burton, has discovered, many people can afford to pay a little more. They should be asked to come forward to the table. For instance, the 30,000 people who earn more than €200,000 per annum are taxed at just 41%. In the Netherlands the highest income tax rate is 52% and I understand the figure in Belgium also exceeds 50%. If we increased the tax rate for these people by 10%, the tax take would increase by €1.5 billion per annum. I ask that, rather than trying to widen the tax base and include people who currently find it very difficult to pay their way, we consider how we can hit those who can most afford it. We should debate all these issues prior to the mini-budget. I ask the Leader to arrange such a debate.