asked the Minister for Finance the number of people in the State who have weekly pre-tax earnings of (a) less than £50, (b) £50£60, (c) £60-£70, (d) £70-£80, (e) £80£90, (f) £90-£100 and (g) over £100.

The only information available regarding the distribution of personal incomes of individuals is that which has been collected in the course of the administration of the income tax code. The latest income distribution statistics published by the Revenue Commissioners relate to the year of assessment 1974-75 and are contained in pages 151 to 156 of their annual report for the year ended 31 December, 1975, copies of which are available in the Library.

The limitations of these statistics, which are set out in detail in pages 149 and 150 of the annual report, are that income which is not liable for tax is excluded, married couples generally are counted as one unit and employees whose income is not high enough to bring them within the ambit of PAYE are excluded.

While, therefore, I cannot provide the precise information requested by the Deputy, a table which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report, sets out data for 1975-76 in a format as close as possible to the Deputy's requirements.

Income Tax 1975-76—distribution of number of incomes by range of total income