David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

One of our proposals was also a Labour Party policy before it ditched it before the last election. That proposal is for a third rate of income tax, of 48% on individual income in excess of ¤100,000. This would have brought in ¤400 million, negating the need for any social welfare cuts at all. We would not cut social welfare. We would reform it and deal with waste, but we would not cut the incomes of those on the lowest incomes in the State and we would not take decisions that would push more people into poverty.