Tralee gives a big thumbs down to the new Budget

January 1992

FINANCE Minister Bertie Ahern’s first Budget has not proved too popular with the people of Tralee who feel that nothing was done to benefit the unemployed.

Some said it was a case of “the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer’.

Sean Dineen from Marian Park, Tralee, is unemployed and, he says, emigration is on the cards. As far as he is concerned, the budget was no good.

“There is still no work around the county. Nothing was done to prevent emigration. I have five children who have had to emigrate because of the unemployment crisis in Kerry. I may have to do the same myself,” he said.

Mr Dineen is an unemployed lorry driver and a smoker. He said the 16p increase on 20 cigarettes will hit a lot of people.

“The increase will result in an “extra £3 or £4 spent a week for some people,” he said.

Tralee Centre for the Unemployed Co-ordinator, Jimmy Murphy, described the Budget as “a disaster for the unemployed.

“He could have done more for the unemployed if he had not dropped the high tax bracket as much as four per cent. The people earning more will be coming out with more now,” he said.

“He said that any benefits people will get as a result of the budget will be taken back off them, because of the rise in VAT from 12.5 percent to 16 percent.

Tralee trader Hugh Culloty feels the increase in VAT is disastrous. He said that, even though the tax bands have been reduced, people are still paying tax when they buy goods.

He feels very strongly about the20 percent increase in Road Tax.

“With the way the roads ‘ are at the moment it does not seem fair that we hate to suffer this increase,” he said.

Housewife, Fiona McCabe from Caherslee said the Budget, was making rich people richer and poor people poorer.

Tralee Town Councillor Michael O’Regan described the Budget as “phoney”.

He said while some people would get an increase in payment, as a result of the decrease in the tax bands, they would lose out on the increase in VAT.

Chairman of the Kerry branch of the Construction Industry Federation, Ted Fitzgerald, said the CIF is very happy that the mortgage interest relief remained has unchanged and said the Budget should give many people more breathing space.

The Black Vallet Set Dancers who were winners at the Slogadh ‘92 competitions ast the weekend. Pictured are Eric O’ Connor, Michael O’ Connor, Damien O’ Connor and Eoin Finnegan.