Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty has slammed the government’s budget as a “budget for landlords” when Ireland needed a “budget for renters”.
The Sinn Féin Finance spokesperson said the budget takes Ireland further from fixing the housing crisis.
Deputy Doherty hit out at the €600 tax break announced for landlords, which is due to increase until it reaches €1,000 by 2027.
“This sop to landlords will go down as one of the stupidest tax reliefs ever to be provided by a Minister for Finance in recent times,” he said.
Deputy Doherty claimed that the Minister for Finance is “always on the side of landlords”.
“It is for the Government, therefore, to explain why a nurse should be taxed more than a landlord. It is a legitimate question. That is what the Minister has done in his proposal today and it is shameful,” he said.
“Today’s budget is grim news for renters and aspiring home-buyers, but what is most shocking is that the Government has announced a housing budget that it knows falls far short of the needs of our people.”
Deputy Doherty said there is no ramping up in housing under this budget.
“Last year, for 2023, the Government allocated €2.6 billion to the capital housing programme. This year, it has allocated the same amount of money. There is no increased investment and no increased urgency. In the middle of a housing crisis, it is shameful.”
Deputy Doherty also described the allocation of funding for health as a “standstill budget”.
A total allocation of €22.5 billion has been set out for the public health system. This includes an €808 million increase in core current funding to address ‘demographic and service pressures’. The government announced €1.23 billion for additional health infrastructure to enhance the wider sustainability of health services. Non-core resources of over €1 billion is to be allocated for Covid and Ukraine spending in the health sector.
Deputy Doherty responded to say: There is no new funding for additional hospital beds and there is less capital investment for health than was promised in the national development plan. In fact, the health capital budget would not even keep pace with inflation.”
“For too long, under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, our health service has lurched from crisis to crisis. Overcrowding in our hospitals is out of control and waiting lists continue to go up. Our young doctors and nurses are looking abroad, and in this budget the Government has given them no reason to stay at home and plenty of reasons to leave. They cannot afford a home and they cannot provide the quality of care they were trained to deliver.”
Deputy Doherty said that “it is clear our health service is going in the wrong direction”, criticising waiting lists for adults and children, as well as children’s mental health and children’s disability services.
