Order of Business - 15th October 2008

Order of Business - 15th October 2008
Senator David Norris: I join with colleagues in welcoming the debate on the budget. One of the most critical issues is the one which Senators O'Toole and Alex White raised. I am perfectly happy to pay the 1% levy and, if my income goes over €100,000 to pay 2%. It is totally appropriate and I have no quarrel with it but Senator White is 100% right in saying that this is a vicious tax. There must be a lower limit. I applaud the higher limit but how can we expect people under €35,000 to pay 1%? This is cutting into what they pay on food, heating and education of their children. This House should urge a lower limit beneath which people pay nothing at all. If necessary, the tax should be raised for the rest of us. We can afford it, they cannot.
Senator Joe O'Reilly: Hear, hear.
Senator David Norris: I am glad to have received information from Dóchas that the 0.7% target in overseas development aid will be reached during the specified time. That is good but the problem is that this is dislodging attention from other issues. We are properly concerned with the international financial situation and its repercussions in Ireland but there are other matters around the world. I would like a debate on the situation in Zimbabwe. It is quite extraordinary but, alas, predictable that Robert Mugabe is doing what some of us felt he might. He is outflanking Morgan Tsvangirai by grabbing the three most significant ministries - defence, security and finance - and then offering to dump finance onto Morgan Tsvangirai in a trade-off. This is very serious and if we believe in democracy, we need to examine this situation.