Burden of payment for years of Gov irresponsibility falls on low income families & young couples
Issued : Tuesday 7 April, 2009
Statement by Proinsias De Rossa
Criticizing Minister Lenihan’s budget as an outright attack on low earners, young people and children, Dublin Labour MEP Proinsias De Rossa called the introduction of increased burdens on minimum wage earners and families with children “an assault of appalling proportions”.
“This budget lacks all imagination. There is no fresh thinking about the economic model that got us here in the first place, just more of the same. The Minister told the Dáil that fairness must be the cornerstone of all our efforts. It takes some neck to then announce the abolition of the early childcare supplement, the cuts in Mortgage allowances, the cuts in social welfare allowance for teenage jobseekers and the cancellation of the December social welfare bonus” said De Rossa “ He is essentially asking those who are already paying for his party’s mistakes to fork out again while promising some time in the future to close down the tax scams”.
“Bankers both in Ireland and around the world have seen their disastrous financial gambles collapse with working families forced to bail them out of debt. This crisis has demonstrated the need for greater EU cooperation but regrettably, the Minister made no reference buying into the EU stimulus package or to the outrage of tax exiles - an issue that we can and must tackle in Ireland and with our European partners”.
“This budget offers nothing in the way of economic stimulus. It is not enough to put our future in hock to the banks in order for them to be able to make money from us sometime in the future. We must stimulate economic demand or there we will be no future for them or for us. Our cities and towns need investment in skills and sustainable physical and social infrastructure for economic modernization.”
