Mr William McCarter, managing director, Fruit of the Loom International

WE have 3,000 employees in several factories in Dublin and Derry, and we're in a highly competitive business.

Our workers were on part time for quite a while, but now everyone's back full time.

Because it's so competitive, really, anything that increases people's take home pay, particularly the low paid, I'm all for.

I don't expect miracles, but the thresholds should be increased people should be allowed to earn more before being taxed, people should be able to earn more at 27 per cent before going into the 48 per cent bracket.

The higher band acts as a disincentive when it comes in as early as it does. We have pay incentives here, based on production, but then people find their bonus, or a lot of it is gone because they've been pushed onto the higher rate.

I'd also like to see the rates come down, especially the 27 per cent. That should be about 24 per cent, but I doubt if the Government will do that because it would cost a lot.

I'd also want to see the higher band being reduced, but for me the most important thing is that people should be able to earn more money at the lower rate.

The PRSI effects us quite a bit too, both employee's and employer's PRSI. I'd like to see a cut in both of, these, because they really are too high, especially compared to the North.

In the North, where we have manufacturing plants too of course, the employer's PRSI is 5 per cent, compared with 9 per cent in the South. That makes a difference in this business, everything does.