SEANAD REPORT:SEANAD DEPUTY leader Dan Boyle (Greens) clashed with Opposition members when he expressed the hope that they would learn to be numerate when debating the Budget.
He said he had heard much talk about the Budget’s impact on middle-income earners.
“The average industrial wage was €36,000. The average wage in the public sector was €47,000. The tax burden was spread across all categories, but it was most heavily spread among high-income earners,” he said.
Fidelma Healy-Eames (FG): “It was not spread among high-income earners. He should get his facts right.”
Mr Boyle said that every member of the House had been least affected by the tax burden through the 1 per cent increase in the income levy.
“All of the other increases – the four per cent and six per cent bands, the lowering of the thresholds from €250,000 to €175,000, the raising of the PRSI ceiling and the health levy – affect people who earn incomes greater than ours.’’
“When Senators discuss a middle income, they should put things in perspective and learn the reality with which people are living every day.’’
Jerry Buttimer (FG) asked: “Will Senator Boyle say that when he is out canvassing?’’
Maurice Cummins (FG) said: “When he knocks on doors, he will get his comeuppance.’’
Criticising Mr Boyle for his reference to numeracy, Ivana Bacik (Independent) said she made no excuses for saying that the Budget would hit low- and middle-income families. Eugene Regan (FG) said that the Budget was an accounting exercise, with no economic thinking underpinning it. The Minister for Finance had “copped out’’, he added.
Pearse Doherty (SF) said that Mr Boyle had infuriated him.
“As a member of Sinn Féin in this House, I only accept the average industrial wage and the rest of the salary does not go into my pocket,’’ he added. “It is, instead, invested in the constituency.’’ Liam Twomey (FG) said it was unbelievable that civil servants were being allowed to retire at 50, when, only two years ago, “we were told we had to massively increase the salaries of those same people to bring them up to parity with the private sector’’.