Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 6 May 1953

Vol. 138 No. 10

Financial Resolutions. - Resolution No. 1—Income-tax and Surtax.

Minister for Finance (Mr. MacEntee)

I move:—

(1) That income tax shall be charged for the year beginning on the 6th day of April, 1953, at the rate of 7/6 in the £.

(2) That sur-tax for the year beginning on the 6th day of April, 1953, shall be charged in respect of the income of any individual the total of which from all sources exceeds £1,500 and shall be so charged at the same rates as those at which it is charged for the year beginning on the 6th day of April, 1952.

(3) That the several statutory and other provisions which were in force on the 5th day of April, 1953, in relation to income tax and sur-tax shall have effect in relation to the income tax and sur-tax to be charged as aforesaid for the year beginning on the 6th day of April, 1953.

(4) It is hereby declared that it is expedient in the public interest that this Resolution shall have statutory effect under the provisions of theProvisional Collection of Taxes Act, 1927 (No. 7 of 1927).

General Mulcahy

Will the Minister not explain what the Resolution is about?

Mr. MacEntee

It is the Resolution which continues the income-tax at the same rate.

Mr. Sweetman

Will the Minister explain why he has not given any relief to the hard-pressed income-tax payers on the lower level?

Mr. MacEntee

I have explained that. I would recommend the Deputy to study my speech.

Mr. Sweetman

The House and the country expected the Minister to give some alleviation in respect of the lower level of income-tax payers, the people who are being asked to pay income-tax for whom such a tax was never designed. The Minister knows very well that the people on the lower level having to pay income-tax is one of the causes of absenteeism and loss of production. If the Minister knew what he should do in the Budget, he would have made provision to meet that difficulty.

Question put.

The Committee divided: Ta, 67; Níl, 62.

Tá.

• Allen, Denis.
• Bartley, Gerald.
• Beegan, Patrick.
• Brady, Philip A.
• Brady, Seán.
• Breathnach, Cormac.
• Breen, Dan.
• Brennan, Joseph.
• Breslin, Cormac.
• Briscoe, Robert.
• Browne, Noel C.
• Buckley, Seán.
• Burke, Patrick.
• Butler, Bernard.
• Calleary, Phelim A.
• Carter, Frank.
• Childers, Erskine.
• Cogan, Patrick.
• Colley, Harry.
• Collins, James J.
• Corry, Martin J.
• Crowley, Honor Mary.
• Crowley, Tadhg.
• Cunningham, Liam.
• Davern, Michael J.
• Maguire, Patrick J.
• Maher, Peadar.
• Moran, Michael.
• Moylan, Seán.
• Ó Briain, Donnchadh.
• O'Reilly, Matthew.
• Ormonde, John.
• O'Sullivan, Ted.
• Rice, Bridget M.
• Derrig, Thomas.
• de Valera, Eamon.
• de Valera, Vivion.
• Fanning, John.
• ffrench-O'Carroll, Michael.
• Flanagan, Seán.
• Flynn, John.
• Flynn, Stephen.
• Gallagher, Colm.
• Gilbride, Eugene.
• Harris, Thomas.
• Hillery, Patrick J.
• Hilliard, Michael.
• Humphreys, Francis.
• Kenneally, William.
• Kennedy, Michael J.
• Killilea, Mark.
• Lemass, Seán.
• Little, Patrick J.
• Lynch, Jack (Cork Borough).
• McCann, John.
• MacCarthy, Seán.
• McEllistrim, Thomas.
• MacEntee, Seán.
• McGrath, Patrick.
• Ryan, James.
• Ryan, Mary B.
• Sheldon, William A.W.
• Sheridan, Michael.
• Smith, Patrick.
• Traynor, Oscar.
• Walsh, Laurence J.
• Walsh, Thomas.

Níl.

• Belton, John.
• Blowick, Joseph.
• Browne, Patrick.
• Byrne, Alfred.
• Byrne, Thomas, N.J.
• Cafferky, Dominick.
• Carew, John.
• Cawley, Patrick.
• Collins, Seán.
• Corish, Brendan.
• Cosgrave, Liam.
• Costello, Declan.
• Costello, John A.
• Crotty, Patrick J.
• Crowe, Patrick.
• Desmond, Daniel.
• Dillon, James M.
• Dockrell, Henry P.
• Dockrell, Maurice E.
• Donnellan, Michael.
• Doyle, Peadar S.
• Esmonde, Anthony C.
• Everett, James.
• Finan, John.
• Finucane Patrick.
• Flanagan, Oliver J.
• Giles, Patrick.
• Hession, James M.
• Hickey, James.
• Hughes, Joseph.
• Keyes, Michael.
• Kyne, Thomas A.
• Larkin, James.
• Lehane, Patrick D.
• Lynch, John (North Kerry).
• McAuliffe, Patrick.
• MacBride, Seán.
• MacEoin, Seán.
• McGilligan, Patrick.
• McMenamin, Daniel.
• Madden, David J.
• Mannion, John.
• Morrissey, Daniel.
• Mulcahy, Richard.
• Murphy, Michael P.
• Murphy, William.
• Norton, William.
• O'Donnell, Patrick.
• O'Gorman, Patrick J.
• O'Hara, Thomas.
• O'Higgins, Thomas F.
• O'Higgins, Thomas F. (Jun.).
• O'Leary, Johnny.
• O'Reilly, Patrick.
• O'Sullivan, Denis.
• Palmer, Patrick W.
• Reidy, James.
• Roddy, Joseph.
• Rogers, Patrick J.
• Rooney, Eamon.
• Spring, Dan.
• Sweetman, Gerard.

Tellers:—Tá: Deputies Ó Briain and Killilea; Níl: Deputies Doyle and Brendán Mac Fheórais.

Resolution declared carried.

Major de Valera

I would like to ask Deputy Norton a question. On what grounds did the Labour Party oppose this motion?

Mr. Sweetman

If you were in the House you would have heard.

Major de Valera

Do they want income-tax to go up or come down?

Mr. Sweetman

Sit down and behave yourself.

Major de Valera

Which do they want—up or down?

Mr. O'Higgins

They want to get Fianna Fáil out, and out very quickly.

Major de Valera

That is all you are thinking of.

Mr. Sweetman

That is all the country is thinking of.

Major de Valera

The country does not matter to you.

Mr. Sweetman

That is all the country is thinking of—get Fianna Fáil out.

Major de Valera

That is what you want.

Mr. Cosgrave

That is what the people want.

Mr. O'Higgins

Move the Wicklow writ.