Thomas Pringle TD today criticised the government following the announcement of Budget 2013 for its attack on the elderly, medical card holders, the disabled and low earners, calling it “an attack on the vulnerable through the back door”.
“Today this government has yet again created a grossly unfair budget which targets those on low incomes and other vulnerable groups by cutting child benefit, increasing prescription charges, cutting Jobseekers Benefit, taxing maternity benefit, introducing the property tax and cuts to the household benefits package. This is an outrageous attack on the needy and I am sickened to hear that this is what this government calls a fair budget.
“From the second half of next year the property tax is to commence with few exemptions and I am outraged that those on low incomes who are granted deferrals until they are considered able to pay are being charged 4% interest. The so-called ‘mansion tax’ taxing 0.25% of households over €1 million in value is unlikely to generate much savings as it is based on the current value of the property and is a poor excuse for a wealth tax which would be based on income and would generate so much more.
“By removing the PRSI ceiling this means that a person earning €18,000 a year will be taxed the same as a higher earner such as a TD which is profoundly wrong and something which this government should be ashamed of. What is also of great concern to me is that PRSI contributions for the self-employed are to be doubled from €250 to €500 without any access to benefits in times of hardship which means that the self-employed are being charged more for less. This also disincentives those looking to set-up businesses and create employment which is quite ironic considering how Minister Noonan today emphasised the importance of SMEs.
“Day after day for the last week or so we were told by ministers that this budget would be fair and that those who can pay would, but we can see now where the truth lies. The low earners and elderly of this country are left again to bear the brunt of cuts and have the Fine Gael Labour coalition to blame.
“We are told that we are near the end of austerity budgets but what this government fails to understand is that the people just can’t take anymore. This is yet another budget that fails to hit the highest earners in society and hits the vulnerable in a brutal way. This government has clearly lost sight of what people are experiencing on the ground, and they’ve had enough.”
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