Sir, – I can confidently state that Eamon Madden's suggestion (June 27th) of using the proceeds of the sale of some of the State's stake in AIB to repay the pension levy will not be taken up.
On his final day as minister for finance, Michael Noonan replied to me by letter, saying that “I have no plans to repay the levies”.
His response to the follow-on reduction to members’ pensions is dismissive – “Taxpayers whom the impact of the levy may have been passed on . . . will benefit from the changes which I began in budget 2015 and which will continue in future budgets to reduce the tax burden on low- and middle-income citizens”.
A patronising response, I would contend.
The injustice perpetrated by the pension levy is all the more acute when you will recall that two months ago TDs received €2,700 in pay restoration. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN BOURKE,
Cratole,
Co Clare.