Sinn Féin councillor Rose Conway-Walsh has condemned the decision of the Government to approve a new Household Charge of €100 as a precursor to water charges and a property tax.
Speaking after the Fine Gael/Labour cabinet approved the charge, Conway-Walsh said: “By choosing to impose sweeping flat rate taxes on everyone the Government is abandoning its pre- and post-election promises to protect the most vulnerable and families on low incomes and the ‘working poor’. The Government are purporting that there is no alternative to the household charge, yet, as Sinn Féin TD Pierce Doherty pointed out on Vincent Browne last night, the Anglo Irish Unguaranteed Bond due to be paid out later this year equates to five years worth of revenue that would be generated by bringing in this charge (€160 million per year ). This is a choice being made by Government – the mantra of the ‘IMF/ECB made me do it’ doesn’t wash.”
