Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It was Senator McDowell who used the phrase "wealthy barristers". Given that there are those who are very much trying to make ends meet on the minimum wage, on zero-hour contracts or in precarious jobs, such as teachers may have precarious contracts, gardaí and so forth, it is ironic to hear others doing the ochón ochón for those who earn quite well. Any elements where we ask people to pay more only apply to people who earn more than €100,000 per annum. We ask them to pay only 7 cent extra per euro on anything earned above €100,000, which is very fair. Sinn Féin is willing to tax the wealthy. We are willing to increase the tax base but we want to do so in a way that is fair to people who have less than others.

There has been talk of bringing people home from abroad. We are bringing people home from abroad who cannot afford car insurance, get their children into schools and have issues with accessing many different things.

On issues for older people, the minuscule increases have been lauded. Sinn Féin would have spent €410 million, reinstated the transitional State pension, increased the fuel allowance by three weeks, reintroduced the bereavement grant at €600, put €1 million more into the warmer homes scheme and increased home packages by 10%. The delayed increase of €5 in the pension rings hollow when one considers the increases amounting to €14,650 that the Taoiseach will get over two years and the increase of €12,735 that Ministers will get. Those sums are more than what some people earn in a year. It is a disgrace that these moneys are not being used for the betterment of the people who need it most in society.