Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)

It is more than a technical matter; it is a matter of the policy being pursued by the IMF and the Government. Speakers on both sides ranged far and wide in their contributions to the debate yesterday.

Austerity is destroying jobs and the policies being pursued into the first quarter of next year are horrendous. Increasing VAT by 2% will take more money out of the economy and will result in the closure of more small businesses and the destruction of more jobs while even more people will be made unemployed or will emigrate.

The Bill has nothing to do with being fair, neutral, democratic or charitable. It will put in place a structure in the IMF that will continue its current policies, which are leading to huge difficulties for the country. These policies should be reversed.

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