asked the Minister for Finance if he will state whether any representations have been made to him, by the Irish Trade Union Congress, regarding the inadequacy of the tax-free allowances under the Income-Tax Acts; whether the matter has been considered and a reply sent; and whether he will further state the date of the communication received from the congress and the date of his reply.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tax-Free Allowances.
asked the Minister for Finance whether he received, from Dungarvan Urban District Council, a resolution urging that the personal allowance for income-tax purposes be increased so as to exclude from taxation incomes up to £5 a week; and whether he has replied to the communication in question.
I propose to take questions Nos. 11 and 12 together. I have received the communications to which the Deputy refers. In common with other representations concerning taxation, they will be considered in connection with the coming Budget.
The letter transmitting a resolution of the national executive of the Trade Union Congress was dated the 29th March and was acknowledged on the 3rd April. The letter from the Dun-garvan Urban District Council was also acknowledged on receipt.
Bearing in mind the fact that personal, marriage, children and earned-income allowances were fixed for income-tax purpose many years ago when the purchasing value of these allowances was much greater than it is to-day, will the Minister give sympathetic consideration to the question, especially in respect to the lower and middle income rates, of raising these allowances in order to compensate for the shrunken purchasing value of money which has occurred since these allowances were first fixed?
All relevant considerations will be taken into account.