Joan ready to get rid of hated USC
It’s just ‘one for everyone in audience’ says Martin
ELECTION auctioneering kicked off with a vengeance yesterday when Joan Burton promised to scrap the USC altogether if Labour gets back into power.
At her party’s think-in in Co. Wicklow, the Tánaiste also pledged to increase the welfare Christmas bonus by half this year, giving OAPs an extra €115.
But Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin dismissed Coalition promises as ‘something for everyone in the audience’ that could not be adhered to.
JOAN Burton has upped the ante as election promises hit fever pitch, with a pledge to abolish the Universal Social Charge completely if Labour is returned to power.
The Tánaiste spoke following weekend reports that the Government was looking at cutting the USC by as much as 2 per cent in next month’s Budget.
The much reviled USC is taken from our wages at a rate of 1.5 per cent on the first €12,012, and then increases incrementally up to 8 per cent on PAYE income above €100,000, and 11 per cent on self-employed pay over €100,000.
The party leader also pledged – at Labour’s parliamentary party think-in in Glen of the Downs yesterday – to increase the Social Protection Christmas bonus by 50 per cent this year.
The move, which would woo the crucial grey vote, would give an extra €115 to a single pensioner, bringing the bonus back up to three quarters what it was before being scrapped in 2009. However, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin slammed the USC pledge, saying Fine Gael and Labour were offering ‘something for everyone in the audience’ – not all of which could possibly be delivered.
‘They are trying to sell the fairytale of a decisive government turning everything around and will keep promising enormous tax cuts and spending increases,’ he told TDs and senators at his parliamentary party’s think-in at the Marine Hotel in Sutton.
‘Last week the Taoiseach confirmed that if the bribes won’t work they will campaign on the idea that if you vote against them you are voting for chaos and collapse. Such a negative and cynical campaign would be an appropriate end to this Government,’ he declared.
‘Over the summer they made promises amounting to billions and yesterday we saw the “one for every one in the audience” approach taken to ridiculous
‘We’ll reduce FF’s dreaded tax’
levels, with four separate groups being told that they are to be the priority,’ he said.
Their support is now at the same level as in the local elections, when Fianna Fáil ‘defeated them’, Mr Martin declared, putting a better gloss on the weekend’s Red C poll figures, which were gloomy for his party, putting it at just 18 per cent, while Labour and Fine Gael combined had 38 per cent, just two pints shy of the 40 per cent number that could see them re-elected.
‘They keep announcing that they have reached a turning point but the public keeps bringing them back to reality,’ Mr Martin said.
‘The simple fact is that this is a Government of spin and broken promises which has presided over entirely avoidable crises and has been deeply unfair in its policies.’
However, Ms Burton told her party’s TDs and senators that Labour wanted to help families and the vulnerable in the upcoming budgets – and she placed further reform of the USC at the centre of this plan.
‘As somebody involved over the years in tax reform issues, I think it is important that we would actually reform the USC and return to the original situation in Ireland, over a number of budgets,’ Ms Burton said.
‘But we want to do more on it this year,’ she said, adding ‘absolutely’ when asked if it could be abolished completely in the lifetime of the next government. ‘Next month, we’ll set out the second Budget in a row to raise living standards,’ Ms Burton said.
‘My focus will be on helping lowand middle-income workers, families, retired people and the vulnerable. For the second year in a row, we’ll ensure l ow and middleincome workers take home more pay by further reducing Fianna Fáil’s dreaded USC.
‘We’ll increase investment in our health, education and childcare systems because improved public services are essential to a better Ireland. And as the party of work, we’ll continue to prioritise helping people back into work, so that they can build better financial futures for themselves and their families,’ she said.
Meanwhile, Environment Minister Alan Kelly has said the housing crisis is his top priority as minister, and he criticised rogue landlords who are hiking prices to unaffordable levels, often forcing people into homelessness.
He said his housing plan which will introduce rent controls, or ‘rent certainty’ as he prefers to term it, will be unveiled shortly.
‘We’re in discussions in government on this as part of an overall package on housing.
‘I think rent is a key issue that needs to be dealt with, in particular unscrupulous landlords who are upping the rent. That’s completely morally unacceptable and it’s something I believe needs to be addressed.’
Mr Kelly also stood firm on Irish Water, under pressure from protesters and the Opposition to reform it further or scrap it.
‘In relation to my favourite topic, the schedule isn’t finished, the ( bill) cycle i sn’t finished, but obviously I’m greatly satisfied that a lot of work is ongoing and a lot of people are really considering this issue and are paying their bills,’ he said.
‘I think it shows that the majority of people do know that they have to pay for the infrastructure to deliver clean water for the people of this country,’ Mr Kelly added, and he said ‘absolutely not’, when asked if there could be any more changes to the water charging system.
Following the private think-in session for TDs and senators last night, Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin confirmed that the vote transfer pact proposal would see the party ask their supporters t o back Fine Gael candidates after Labour.