These families have reflected. They have reflected on the fact that you are asking them to find €65,000 for an average house. They cannot do it. Deputy McHugh has stated that he will not stand over the legislation. It needs to change.

It needs to change.

It is not agreed.

A Thaoisigh, glac cúpla nóiméad agus éist leis na focail a labhair Nancy Healy agus Susan Ní Bhriain ar Nuacht TG4 aréir. Bhí cumhacht millteanach leis na focail, úinéirí tithe i dTír Chonaill. Labhair siad ar son mórchuid na ndaoine atá thíos leis agus atá cráite ag an scannal mica inár gcontae agus i Maigh Eo agus contaetha eile. Tá sé soiléir nach scéim 100% í seo atá fógartha ag an Rialtas agus níl siad sásta. Mar shampla, tá siad ag rá go bhfuil costas €60,000 sa bhreis orthu mar nach bhfuil na costais sin clú…

Jesus Christ-----

----does the Taoiseach not understand this? Is every single homeowner who has rejected the scheme wrong? They know their own lived experience because they need the house that is crumbling around them fixed. They are facing another Christmas where they do not know where they will be next Christmas. These houses are in a terrible state and they need a proper scheme. We came in here on the basis of what was said to campaigners yesterday morning to welcome this scheme in the main. That was what was going to happen. How…

Today the Government is cutting the rate of payment available to employers under the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS. It will be cut by a quarter for workers whose weekly wage is below €203 and by 40% for other workers. This is a one size fits all cut. We know that the recent public health restrictions are affecting certain sectors more than others. The public guidance is to work from home and reduce social contacts. Thankfully people are responding to that public health guidance. The impact of it is being fel…

I do not have an issue with amendments Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive. This is about ensuring that students are exempt from tax in terms of the PPG. This measure is directed at student nurses. Where is the front-line workers' bonus? Where is a bonus for all of the other nurses? The Taoiseach committed in June of this year to bring forward a bonus without delay. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, said that had to be done well before Christmas. We are now only a couple of weeks away from …

The Minister referred to a speedy decision. The Taoiseach said six months ago that a decision would be made. One thing the Government cannot be accused of is speed, especially when it comes to rewarding those on the front line. We stood in the Chamber months or years ago and gave nurses a round of applause. They are, unfortunately, back on the front line dealing with high levels of Covid. This is the Finance Bill that exempts pandemic payments to student nurses. When will the decision be made? We are dealing with t…

I hate to shock the Minister, but it is agreed.

I move amendment No. 6: In page 20, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “Report on Trans-Border Workers’ Relief in the context of Cross-Border Workers 16. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a comprehensive report on the Trans-Border Workers’ Relief in the context of people who reside in the State and work in the North and the tax status and options of people who reside in the North and work in this State.”. The last couple of seconds p…

I welcome Revenue's pragmatic approach on the extension of this waiver allowing those individuals to avail of this relief during the time of public health restrictions, which may go into next year. That was what I sought to achieve by raising this on Committee Stage. On the wider issue of the amendment, I have always said we need to look at this from an all-island point of view and in the context of the Good Friday Agreement. All the statistics indicate the Border region is one of the most neglected and poorest wit…

I acknowledge the Minister has met the groups and I appreciate his comments that he will continue to monitor the matter. However, this is a very important issue, and not just for the workers. It is challenging for somebody who works from home even three, four or five days in a year because the relief is not available. The Minister referred to the principle that somebody who is resident here is taxed here, but that is not the case with the trans-border workers' relief. That is the whole point here. People who are re…

I move amendment No. 7: In page 20, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “Report on tapering out of income tax credits 16. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on tapering out income tax credits for incomes between €100,000 and €140,000 at a rate of 2.5 per cent for each €1,000 earned.”. If we look at tax revenue in the State, even before the pandemic, we had the situation of an aging population; a potential over-reliance on corp…

I do not know if it was an error on the part of the Minister but the amendment speaks to tapering out the tax credits on incomes between €100,000 and €140,000 at a rate of 2.5% for each €1,000. The Minister, in giving his figures, mentioned 5%. Anyway, that is not the biggest issue. I am not surprised that the Minister has decided to vote against this amendment. Budgets are all about decisions and political choices. You cannot do X unless you have Y. You cannot make investments unless you have resources. The Govern…

Tapering out tax credits does not increase the marginal rates. They will remain the same. The impact would be on the effective rate. I mentioned to the Minister that this, combined with the other measure, would bring the effective rate below where it was in 2014. Tapering out the tax credits, therefore, would not impact on the marginal rate of taxation, which brings in €232 million. I asked the Minister where he is going to get the revenue from, and he outlined that it will come from the 97% of the population who e…

I move amendment No. 8: In page 20, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “Report on income levy on high incomes 16. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on the introduction of a high-income levy on high incomes in excess of €140,000.”.

I move amendment No. 9: In page 20, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: "Report on income tax relief 16. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on an income tax relief equivalent in value to 8.3 per cent of annual rent to all private rental tenants not already in receipt of any State subsidy, examining the social and economic impact of this measure in the context of high levels of rent and other policy levers such as a ban on rent…

The Minister can accuse me of whatever he wants and can say what my policies or those of my party may or may not do. But look at the Minister's track record. We do not have to look into a crystal ball to see what may happen. The Minister has been in Cabinet for well over a decade and has been Minister of Finance for a period of time. He has huge sympathy for all these poor créatúrs that are screwed because of the high prices of rents, but he is the guy who has the ability to change that. The Minister says to look a…

The Minister has been there for ten years. His record is the highest rents in this city in Europe. His record is generations locked out of home ownership. His record is thousands of people homeless as a result of sky-high rents. That is the reality and things are getting worse. In 17 counties in Ireland rent increases are in double digits. The record is the Government brought forward legislation, which the Minister signed off in Cabinet, that allowed landlords to increase monthly rents in this city by another €100 …