12/05/2015

Sinn Féin Accuse Govt Of Being 'Dishonest On Economic Choices'

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has accused the government of being "dishonest on economic choices".

"Following the calamity of the economic crash under the last Fianna Fáil-led Government, a Fine Gael/Labour coalition assumed office with a huge mandate for political change, but as citizens have learned to their cost, nothing has changed," Mr Adams said while speaking at the Connolly memorial, on the anniversary of the execution of James Connolly.

"According to the most recent CSO figures, the top 10% own over half of the wealth, while the poorest 20% owe more than they own," he added.

"According to the ESRI, only the top 40% of households actually benefited from the last Budget with the greatest benefits going to the top 10%.

"Fine Gael and Labour’s four Budgets have been the most unfair and unequal since the economic crash. There has been a huge growth in social inequality. A third of our children now live in consistent poverty. Over 1,000 children are homeless in this city.

"Low and middle-income earners have been severely penalised by Fine Gael and Labour. The abolition of the PRSI ceiling, increase in VAT, the introduction of a Family Home Tax and Water Charge have significantly increased the tax bill of ordinary workers."

(MH/CD)

Related Irish News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

05 June 2008
Government Sabotaged Economy: Fine Gael
A Fianna Gael TD has claimed the Government have "sabotaged" the economy's capacity to withstand tougher economic times through reckless financial management. On Tuesday, it was revealed the government was already facing a €3.
08 August 2014
Fine Gael Welcomes ESRI Report
The latest report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has been welcomed by Fine Gael. They have described it as a "testament to the policies implemented under the current Government.
23 September 2015
Govt To Invest €30m In Rural Towns And Villages
The Government is to invest €30m in rural towns and villages between 2016 – 2021, Ministers Alan Kelly and Ann Phelan announced on Tuesday.
21 August 2015
Entrepreneurs And The Self-Employed 'Deserve Tax Standardisation' - FG
Entrepreneurs and self-employed people in Ireland "deserve tax standardisation", Fine Gael has said. Fine Gael TD for Meath West, Ray Butler, made the comments following the news that the Department of Finance is to review of the taxation of entrepreneurs and the self-employed in Ireland.
29 January 2009
Taxes Set For 2009/10 Hike?
Although there was a plea yesterday that a hike in personal taxes should be a 'last resort', the Government and social partners continued their tough negotiations on the economy today and it has emerged that the 41% income tax bracket is likely to go up significantly in the next budget.