Fine Gael Condemns Irish Government's Budget Record As 'Shameful'

by Justin Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London

15 November 2001

Speaking at the launch of Fine Gael's pre-budget submission on social welfare, the party's spokesman on social and community issues condemned Ireland's last four budgets as 'shameful', and accused the government of increasing the gap between the country's rich and poor.

'Ireland is a wealthy country with one of the worst records on poverty in the European Union,' Brian Hayes argued. 'Despite the astonishing economic success of recent years, this Government has succeeded in widening the gap between Ireland's rich and poor.'

The government has refused to bow to repeated requests for a cut in the top rates of income tax and corporate tax, and both the Tanaiste Mary Harney, and the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern have stated that any tax cuts in the forthcoming budget will be aimed at improving the situation of the country's lower income workers. However, Fine Gael clearly still feels that not enough is being done in the areas of social policy and welfare.

In its pre-budget submission, the opposition party called for several new measures to be introduced in addition to tax cuts for the country's poor. These included an increase in social welfare payments, improvement of child benefit payments, and more financial relief for carers and widows.

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