Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Minister slapped a 1% levy on their shrinking incomes. He raised VAT rates and these will apply in every household. He increased the price of petrol so that last night lines of cars were drawn up outside every garage as hard-pressed workers tried to fill the tanks of their cars before that extra cost came in. The Minister raised their motor tax, cut what they could reclaim on their medical expenses and added €10 to every air flight they take. The 16 people who left my town for Australia would have paid that were they here today. The other young people leaving this country on the emigrant aeroplane to seek work in countries where it is available will be taxed for flying out of Ireland. The Minister hiked hospital charges to make it more difficult for people to bring their sick children to accident and emergency departments. He reduced their mortgage relief and the relief on money they are trying to put into their pensions. He slapped €300 extra on secondary school bus tickets and €600 on third level registration fees and reduced child benefit on over 18s by 50%, which is despicable given that the mothers of Ireland in the main have raised their children to that point.

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