Speaking today after the results of the first review of the EU/IMF programme was announced, Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty said the Government must renegotiate the deal.
Deputy Doherty said: “Today’s announcement is scant on detail but clear on intention. The Government will be bound to the EU/IMF programme with minor changes.Today’s announcement is a far cry from the calls of Fine Gael and Labour that they would not be bound by the terms of this agreement.
“By the end of this year the Government under this programme is committed to increasing employee’s taxes by lowering their personal income bands and credits, introducing a property tax, increasing carbon taxes, as well as reducing social expenditure.
“Although some of these measures are in total contradiction to the Programme for Government, they have failed to have these conditions scrapped. They have passed the EU/IMF test but failed the Irish test.”
The TD added: “The Government of Ireland has defaulted on its mandate – its mandate to the people of this State who elected them. It is a sad day when our economic future is being decided by unelected figures outside of the State.
“The fact that the details of what is in the new Programme will be discussed in Brussels, Frankfurt and Washington before they are presented to the people of this State on the 15th May is an affront to Irish democracy.
“Tweaking the conditions on a quarterly basis is not the way forward. This programme is a package of austerity measures that simply are not working. This is clearly borne out by the recent Exchequer figures, the slashing of our growth rate by the IMF and our increased unemployment levels.
“The Government needs to fundamentally renegotiate this deal which is hurting our people, our services and our economy.”
