Sinn Féin and Dublin South West TD, Seán Crowe, has described the decision of the Government to provide for €335 million in tax and USC cuts at a time when public services are on the floor and under enormous pressure as inexcusable.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“The majority of tax payers want to see investment in public services. They want to know that when they go to a public hospital with a loved one that they will be seen within a reasonable time timeframe and they will not be left sitting on a plastic chair for a full day before they are seen by a doctor.

“Most tax payers are appalled at the state of our health service and the lack of care and treatment for the elderly and vulnerable in our communities.

“They want to know that if they have children, they will be able to access high-quality, affordable childcare, and not have to fork out the cost of another mortgage so that they can have the choice of returning to the workforce, as is currently the case.

“They also want reassurance that if they somehow are unlucky to lose their job that they will have the possibility of being able to keep a roof over their head, and not turfed out of their home and left to the whims of vulture funds.

“Unfortunately, this Government has taken the narrow political decision to prioritize tax cuts – which predominantly benefit the better off – rather than using this scarce money to fund and invest in shoring up our creaking public services.”

Noting the failure of the Government to deal with the ill-thought-out Help-to-Buy scheme, Deputy Crowe said:

“Sinn Féin warned from the very start that this scheme was going to be a disaster for potential buyers. Far from making homes more affordable to first time buyers and those stuck in rental accommodation, it has instead simply helped to push-up the actual cost of buying a home. It is working for a few, but mostly for the developer and speculator, and certainly not for the hard pressed buyer.”

ENDS