Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Government is taxing the people on its failure to provide alternatives, and the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, is part of that, as are the lot of other people around here, some of the Independents, who back the Government's policies when it comes time for a vote to put more taxes on the people. Fuel - tax at 50 cent in every euro. The clothes on their backs - tax. The food in their children's lunchboxes - tax. Now the Government is going back to the hospitality industry, an industry that provides a circular economy and local employment and is made up of local producers. What is the Government going to do? It is going to try to put the VAT rate on the sector back up to 13.5%. Who will pay for it? The local people who want to go out to support local hospitality will.

The Government knows nothing but tax. That explains why it had €5 billion left in the coffers this year, but it wanted everyone in this country to suffer at the hands of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens and the couple that back them at every turn and every vote. The Government took €5 billion in extra tax from every man, woman and child in this country. No wonder the Minister of State is sitting with his head face down and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, left two minutes ago. She was afraid to hear the truth, and she is going around now trying to launch the Government's campaign for the next election, saying they will give people this money and that money. That is Limerick's money. It is Clare's money. It is Tipperary's money. It is not government money. It belongs to the people of Ireland and the Government should have used it to protect the people of Ireland rather than trying to protect its own seats at the next election.

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