Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Will the Leader arrange a debate as soon as possible on the discriminatory taxes being introduced, in particular against women, children and the family? On 27 February last, the National Women's Council of Ireland issued a statement with some data on the incomes of women and the gap which exists between them, in particular women who are mothers. The statement was entitled, Being a Mother Doesn't Pay. Mothers who work are paid 31% less than women who have no children.

On the eve of international women's day, we have announced to the mothers, and the prospective mothers, of Ireland that we will tax maternity benefit, which will cost them in the region of ¤450 per month. This is further compounded by the ¤10 cut in child benefit and the property tax which paves the way for more families to fall into the poverty trap. The Minister for Finance's defence of this, that pregnant women should not earn more, is a very poor one. I have said many times that all of us would gladly pay for the relative security and protection of our children and our older people.

There are other options and choices that were open to Government with regard to raising revenue measures here. Reference has been made before to the percentages over ¤100,000 in income that could be used. There are other options which could be used.

Today the matter was covered in the media and many of the editorials. I shall quote from today's Irish Independentwhere it says that the measure is "anti-women". It is also anti-children and anti-family. According to the editorial in today's Irish Independent we could do without the measure and I agree. Today as we celebrate with coffee mornings in the House because it is the eve of International Women's Day, it is unbecoming for the Government to target women, mothers in particular and their children, by a measure of this sort when clearly there are other options available.