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14 April 2011

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UNIVERSAL SOCIAL CHARGE | SINN FÉIN TDs LASH LABOUR BACKING FOR UNFAIR TAX

Sinn Féin postcard campaign to scrap Universal Social Charge

BY BRENDAN KERR

AN UNFAIR and unjust flat tax is how Gerry Adams TD described the Universal Social Charge as Sinn Féin launched a postcard campaign against the charge to complement the party’s fightback in the Dáil and in communities.
Having majored on the issue in the recent general election Sinn Féin is now embarking on acampaign to have the Universal Social Charge abolished.
The launch of the postcard campaign coincided with a two-day Dáil debate on a Sinn Féin motion calling for the abolition of the charge.  It was Sinn Féin’s first opportunity to put forward a motion during Private Members’ Time in the new Dáil.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Gerry Adams said:
“We in Sinn Féin stand firm against the Universal Social Charge.
“It is an unjust and unfair flat tax that penalises those on low and middle incomes and the working poor.
“It is an attack on our incomes that we just cannot afford. We don’t need a review to establish that.
“The Labour Party must stand up for ordinary people by abolishing this charge.”
Sinn Féin’s Dáil motion called for the abolition of the Universal Social Charge to be replaced with a model of progressive taxation whereby those who have more are asked to pay more.
Regrettably, Labour Party TDs meekly fell in behind Fine Gael to support the “unfair and unjust” tax.
Outside the Dáil, Sinn Féin is taking the campaign to scrap the USC, launching a postcard write-in to the Government as another step in its campaign against this unfair tax.
Gerry Adams said:
“Sinn Féin representatives and activists from across the state will be on the streets, on the doors and in the shopping centres asking people to support our campaign against the Universal Social Charge.
“I am asking as many people as possible to come out, sign our postcard and make your voices heard.”
On the Tuesday evening of the Sinn Féin motion, the Fine Gael/Labour Government put forward an amendment to the Sinn Féin motion which called for a review of the charge rather than its abolition.
Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe described this as akin to “asking someone who is hanging off a financial cliff to hang on a bit longer till we review the situation”.
In an impassioned speech, Deputy Crowe described how children are going to school hungry and families are struggling to heat their homes while the Government dithers and capitulates to the banks.
“Burden sharing, my arse!” he hurled at the Fine Gael/Labour TDs sitting shamefaced.
Having described the Universal Social Charge as an attack on the working poor during the course of the election, the Labour Party came in for particular criticism for not supporting its abolition in Government.
The irony was not lost on Sinn Féin Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty TD the very next day when the Government committed €24billion more of taxpayers’ money for defunct banks.
“Yesterday youse had an opportunity to scrap the Universal Social Charge and replace it with a system that was in place prior to the December budget,” Pearse thundered across the benches in the Dáil.
“All of youse in the Labour Party voted to keep it there - voted to keep the tax on the working poor at a cost of €420million. A lot of money but, in comparison to the money that youse are injecting into these defunct banks, it is a pittance.
“Youse have stolen the clothes of [Fianna Fáil’s] Mícheál Martin and Brian Cowen and youse are proudly wearing them on the Government benches today with your smiles and all.”

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