Plan to link dole payments to employment history

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar may link dole payments to people’s employment history while simultaneously cutting tax for middle and high income earners for the next three years under controversial Government proposals.

The dole system plans were outlined in sections of Fine Gael’s new “rolling manifesto” obtained by the Irish Examiner as Mr Varadkar confirmed the de facto income tax cuts for better off workers over the next three years.

Speaking during his live TV broadcast on the first night of the Fine Gael national conference, Mr Varadkar said he will raise the point at which people start paying the highest rate of income tax for each of the next three years.