asked the Minister for Finance if he will allow income tax relief on rates on private dwellings.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Income Tax Reliefs.
28.
The subject raised by the Deputy is a budgetary matter to be considered at the appropriate time, and the Deputy will understand that I cannot indicate at this juncture what the budget may or may not contain.
Could I ask the Minister if he has any sympathy with the question?
The Deputy may rest assured that this and other matters will receive consideration and the news he will get tomorrow will be of great comfort to him personally, even if politically awkward.
The Minister may have seen in last Friday's Evening Herald that the chairman of the Health Committee of the Eastern Health Board——
Is this a question?
It is, and I want the Minister to make some comment on it.
Comment is not allowed at Question time.
In this statement he spoke of a cut-back of £3,000,000——
On a point of order——
He referred to this matter as being a confidence trick.
Deputies
Chair.
Would I be correct in assuming if Deputy Andrews has a question down on this subject for Thursday?
You would be quite correct but I thought the matter was of some extreme urgency——
These interruptions are grossly disorderly.
I am only seeking information.
I am calling the next question.
This whole question of rates has been described as a confidence trick.
The Deputy is abusing the privileges of the House.
29.
asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider exempting from income tax married pensioners whose income does not exceed £20 per week.
Whenever a similar question has been raised with my predecessors they have taken the line that it would not be equitable to differentiate for tax purposes between pensions and other earnings. Amendments in the income for tax code are in any event matters primarily for consideration in relation to the budget. Meanwhile, I would remind the Deputy that, because of the operation of age allowance, a married person aged 65 years or over is not at present liable to income tax unless his total annual income exceeds £794.