Universal social charge reductions
Deputies dispute how many low-paid people would benefit from proposed Universal Social Charge changes. The Tánaiste defends the Government’s reductions, while Ó Caoláin says Sinn Féin’s proposals would leave people better off.
That is not true. We would have focused on those earning less than €19,000.
Comment on this
With respect, I came to the Chamber to discuss nursing in a sensible and fair manner. The Tánaiste is now peddling a mistruth. Our measures provided for taking 100,000 people out of the universal social charge net. The Government's measures have only provided for removing 43,000 from the USC net. Under our submission, more would have been allocated to reducing the impact of USC than the Government did. The Tánaiste should stick with the truth. We have heard loads of rubbish from her this week.
Comment on this
The Deputy needs to go back and study. I specifically spoke about people who, in the context of nursing incomes, could be working part-time and earning up to €13,000. That group would be lifted out of the universal social charge net entirely. The USC has also been reduced significantly for people on the lower rates. However, the real gain is for people with a medium level of take-home pay as the rate of USC they pay has fallen from 7% to 5.5%. If Deputy Ó Caoláin does not believe that it is a significant gain in take-home pay and to the money in people's pockets and purses, I must question the economics of the Sinn Féin budget proposals.
Comment on this
The fact is that people would be better off under Sinn Féin.