Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----to the tune of €500 per year. Not only did the Minister display her true blue colours in the last budget, in which the priority was to cut the top rate of tax and benefit the better off disproportionately and do nothing for people on low incomes, but the Taoiseach also said last week that he will continue on the path of cutting the top rate of tax. The Minister should go out into the real world and see what is happening in this country. She should see the shameful levels of poverty and the huge inequality she has increased through her measures in recent budgets, where the burden of austerity has been hugely and disproportionately placed on the shoulders of the worst off people in this country.

That is the reason people are up in arms about this Government and are calling for a general election. It is the reason so many people took to the streets to protest the proposed water charges. The huge anger and resentment at the unfairness of the Government runs much deeper than water charges, but that is a symbol of the general approach of this Government - to impose austerity disproportionately on the weakest and poorest sections of our society. The only way we can measure this is by using the tools that have been provided by NGOs. The Minister has a responsibility to honour the commitments she gave about opening up the budgetary process, but it appears unlikely she is prepared to do that if she is unwilling to support these amendments.

I agree with most of the points made by previous speakers. What is happening to this country at present is quite shocking. As we approach the centenary of 1916 who would have thought we would have come the full circle?

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