Top Issue 1-2024

9 September 2011

Resize: A A A Print

'NO FAMILY TAXES' CAMPAIGN – UNIVERSAL SOCIAL CHARGE | HOUSEHOLD CHARGE | WATER CHARGES

Campaign Fightback: NO Family Taxes

Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD and Dublin City Councillor Mícheál Mac Donncha at Government Buildings

‘The Universal Social Charge has taken significant money out of take-home pay which has considerably reduced people’s ability to spend locally. The proposed household and water taxes on top of this will push many over the edge’

Paul Donnelly
Dublin Sinn Féin Chairperson

» BY MARK MOLONEY

SINN FÉIN will fight tooth and nail against the implementation of “Family Taxes” due to be announced by the Fine Gael/Labour Government as part of December’s Budget.
Pledging their opposition to the introduction of these charges at a press call outside Leinster House earlier this month, the Sinn Féin team hit out at the Labour and Fine Gael Government’s policy which will see more money being taken out of the pockets of ordinary people already feeling the squeeze.
The Universal Social Charge (USC), coupled with the propsed implementation of a flat-tax household charge and the introduction of water charges, will seriously affect the less-well-off in Irish society. As well as hurting lower-income and middle-income families, taking more money off working people will do nothing to get the economy moving again. In fact, it will have a deflationary effect as it reduces people’s spending power.
Less than a year ago, Labour were voiceferous in their opposition to the USC. Róisín Shortall TD, now a Minister of State, described the charge as a ”blatant and unjustifiable attack on the poor”.
Yet only a few months later the Labour Party went from supporting the scrapping of the tax, to carrying out a “review” of the charge.
When Sinn Féin’s Oireachtas team put a motion before the Dáil in March which would have scrapped the USC, Mary Lou McDonald TD said:
“I am asking all those who claim to oppose this unjust flat tax and who campaigned on a platform of ‘change’ in the recent election to put their money where their mouth is — support the Sinn Féin motion on Tuesday and abolish the Universal Social Charge.”
What did Labour do? They voted against the motion and retained this unfair tax.
On top of the USC, families now have the threat of water charges and a Household Tax.
The Household Tax, which is due at the start of next year, will see every household being forced to pay a flat rate of €100 a year. But the possibility that the charge may increase was not ruled out by Environment Minister Phil Hogan who, when asked whether the charge would increase year-on-year, responded: “All I can say is that, for 2012, it will be €100 or €2 a week.”  Households that don’t pay up will be fined  €10 per month after three months of non-payment.
Speaking to ‘An Phoblacht’ at the launch of Sinn Féin’s ‘No Family Taxes’ campaign at the Office of An Taoiseach at Government Buildings, Dublin Chairperson and Dublin-West by-election candidate Paul Donnelly said:
“The impact of the raft of anti-family taxes has been devastating for many ordinary workers. The Universal Social Charge has taken significant money out of take-home pay which has considerably reduced people’s ability to spend locally. The proposed household and water taxes on top of this will push many over the edge.
“It has to be said that many people are already struggling with rising electricity and gas prices leading to decisions on what can be paid each day and what must be left until the next in the hope something will come through.
“The stress for families trying to make ends meet is increasing,” he said, giving just one example in his Dublin West constituency.
“One family who recently contacted me were at their wits’ end trying to figure out what to do. The father had recently been made redundant while they also had two children in full-time education.
“They had already cut everything to the bone and are now really struggling. They said that they are trying to do the right thing by encouraging and supporting their children through third-level education but they said they have no way of paying the college registration fee. This fee has increased from €850 two years ago to €2,500 this year.
“The constant imposition of all these stealth charges is unjust and unnecessary. What is needed is a fairer system of taxation where those who can afford to pay more do just that. There is only so much the ordinary worker can pay before they break.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Social Protection, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, added:
“People are struggling. Unemployment, debt and cuts have left families unable to make ends meet.
“Flat-rate charges such as the Universal Social Charge and the proposed water and household charges affect people on low incomes, the unemployed and families most.
“These charges really are a tax on families.
“We in Sinn Féin have heard from families, the length and breadth of the country, who just don’t know where they will find the money to pay these taxes.
“We are calling on the Government to find other ways to reduce the deficit instead of hitting struggling families again.”
Outlining a list of alternatives to these taxes (see info box), Deputy Ó Snodaigh added:
“These are measures which could and should be taken. It is not acceptable that families and people on low incomes foot the bill while bankers, speculators and the wealthy elite enjoy lives of luxury.”
Over the coming weeks Sinn Féin activists across the 26 Counties will take part in the No Family Taxes campaign. We urge as many people as possible to get involved in this campaign and stand up for the ordinary people of this state who are reeling from the anti-family policy being persued by Fine Gael and Labour.”
You can log onto www.sinnfein.ie or follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@sinnfeinireland) to find out about how you can get involved.

 

Follow us on Facebook

An Phoblacht on Twitter

An Phoblacht Podcast

An Phoblacht podcast advert2

Uncomfortable Conversations 

uncomfortable Conversations book2

An initiative for dialogue 

for reconciliation 

— — — — — — —

Contributions from key figures in the churches, academia and wider civic society as well as senior republican figures

GUE-NGL Latest Edition ad

An Phoblacht
44 Parnell Sq.
Dublin 1
Ireland