Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and thank him for his contribution. Perhaps it is possible to arrange to have it circulated, although I know it will also be published online. We are very lucky to have such an exceptional Minister and I acknowledge his great work and commitment. I say that as someone who is not a member of the Fine Gael Party and is not here to promote anyone. The Minister has a difficult job that is about prudence, balance and reason.

At a time when the Taoiseach is advocating tax cuts, both Houses are discussing major issues such as children going to school in prefabricated buildings, a major health crisis and people waiting for services. Millions of euro have been provided for extra staff and resources in healthcare but we are not seeing this at the other end. Waiting lists are not reducing and we have a crisis in healthcare, education and housing. Those are the three planks on which the Government will be tested. I will not discuss the issue of local property tax reform because that is a separate area of concern.

I ask the Minister to go on Google Images, as I did before coming to the House, and type in the letters "USC" followed by his name or the name of the Taoiseach. He will find pictures of the Taoiseach and himself holding up banners at train stations in Dublin before the election. There was no ambiguity about the words on the banners, which featured a promise and commitment to abolish the USC. I do not know what the Minister's long-term plan is in that respect. Does he still plan to have a new modified or adjusted scheme for pay related social insurance, PRSI, and USC or to merge the two schemes? We need to know what is the Government's plan and vision for the USC. Does the Minister still stand over the "abolish the USC" slogan on his banner? I am not scoring political points but there comes a time when we need to clear up the ambiguity. Is it still the objective of Fine Gael to abolish the USC? I note that some adjustments were made in the budget and the Minister mentioned them in his contribution. I ask him to comment.

I have no problem paying a large amount of tax as I am fortunate to have a job and to be healthy. I do not advocate reducing taxation until such time as we have our health services in order, we no longer have children in prefabs and we have resolved the housing crisis.We have to be courageous. We have to say we want to have good health and education services. If we want to see the provision of social and affordable housing, we will have to pay for it. Those with the ability to work and who have the good fortune to have a job recognise this. I am not an advocate of cutting taxes for the sake of making people better off if, on the other hand, there is a range of people who have nothing.

I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to say those few things. We need to be clear. Is it the Government's intention to phase out USC? If so, with what will it replace it? Is it its intention to reform PRSI? Is there any chance that it will merge the two? I seek clarity on that matter.

I congratulate the Minister on the job he has done. It is a difficult one and he has to resist many demands. I appreciate that he is doing so in observing how he operates, reading media reports and talking to people. He is not a walkover and not considered to be; rather, he is considered to be measured. That is the type of person we want to see in charge of the finances of the country. We need to be cautious about playing to popular demands and what is called middle Ireland. Suddenly we are asking what it is. Does it comprise the people who register to vote for certain political groupings? I am not interested in that but in having state-of-the-art health services and the provision of affordable and social housing. I am also interested in having state-of-the-art education services.

I acknowledge the ambitions of the Taoiseach and the Government to create a republic of opportunity, in which one gets up early in the morning and does a hard day's work. The time for words is over. We need to see action and services being put in place. I say, "Well done."