Election candidates cannot dismiss issues such as water taxes, property taxes, and the proposed universal medical charge as national, governmental issues, as they affect the day to day lives of ordinary people.
This is the view of Anti Austerity Alliance Galway City West candidate Tommy Holohan, who said all candidates should state their position on “the onslaught of imposed charges being placed on the people of Galway”.
Some 80 per cent of money from the property tax is expected to go back into local government in the State; water charges will be based on the amount of water used by an individual household; while the new flood levy on insurance bills will affect people living in flood prone areas of the city.
Mr Holohan says candidates cannot say these matters are issues for Government and not for councillors to deal with.
“These are the real issues affecting the people of this city at this present time,” he said. “The austerity policies of this Government have brought the citizens to a situation where they are existing from day to day rather than living a life.”
He is now calling on all candidates to “openly declare where they stand on these austerity policies”.
Mr Holohan said: “Candidates must be honest and tell the people where they really stand and what they are prepared to do to instigate change and reduce the misery presently being bestowed on the people they are asking to vote for them.”
