Dáil debates

Thursday, 14 October 2021

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Financial Resolution No. 2: General (Resumed)

 

1:45 pm

Photo of Imelda MunsterImelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is fair to say that this week's budget was a huge disappointment for most people in this State. If people were expecting leadership, solutions or, indeed, any sense of urgency, then they were left very disappointed. The fact there was absolutely nothing - zilch - in the budget for renters is disastrous for tens of thousands of people who are struggling to pay rent or find a home they can even afford to rent.

Is it that the Government does not understand the crisis for renters or is it that it simply does not care? Telling renters to hold on for another few years while they wait for houses to be built is not acceptable. In fact, it is nauseating. People are in dire straits in this moment and they need support now. They need some security in their lives and this budget gave them nothing. The Government is either completely out of touch with the reality of people's lives today or it does not care. Both options are reprehensible.

The Government did manage, though, to bring in a tax break for landowners, namely, the zoned land tax. It will not come into effect for several years - there is no hurry, is there? - and it is half the rate of the vacant tax levy, which it is replacing. Sinn Féin would have increased the vacant tax levy to 15%. Fianna Fáil, in its manifesto, said it would raise it to 14% but the Government put it to 3%.

It is not just rent that is putting pressure on ordinary working people. Energy prices are skyrocketing. The price of electricity has risen by 19%, gas by 12% and oil by a whopping 39% in the 12 months to August. Instead of helping people to deal with these increases, the Government raised carbon taxes. They have already risen in the past year by €3 for a tank of petrol and up to €40 for a fill of oil. The Government made a decision to make life harder for ordinary working people at a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, knowing full well most people have no alternative but to buy these fuels. They either buy oil, gas or coal to heat their homes or they freeze.

On the subject of the cost of living, childcare is in a state of disarray between outrageous fees and poor pay for childcare professionals. That has been flagged up to the Government repeatedly by the sector. In terms of tourism and hospitality, there was much talk in the weeks before the budget of a pandemic bonus, that is, a voucher for people to spend in local businesses and a bank holiday. Both of these were included in Sinn Féin's proposal but there is absolutely nothing in the Government's budget. Yet again, there has been no stimulus for the sector other than the frankly disastrous stay-and-spend tax rebate last year.

The budget did not offer much in terms of health either. Free GP care for children aged under eight years of age is very welcome but under Sláintecare, we should all have had free GP care by 2022. We are, therefore, clearly a decade, if not more, behind where we need to be. I cannot count the number of times Fine Gael governments have announced various versions of free GP care. In 2013, it was free GP care for every man, woman and child within three years and in 2016, it was free GP care for the under-12s. None of it was ever delivered.

More than 900,000 people are on waiting lists. People cannot get dental care if they hold a medical card. When is the Government going to wake up? The budget will not deliver any new acute hospital beds above those pre-committed last year. It promises 19 additional ICU beds, which is just over half of what Sinn Féin would fund. Sinn Féin in government would also fund 600 additional new public hospital beds.

Sinn Féin would have put workers and families first. We would have invested where it is most needed to address the crises we have in health and housing and the cost of living. We would have guaranteed the right to retire on a pension at aged 65. Alongside that, we would have delivered the largest investment in mental health in the history of the State, significantly increased investment in disability supports and begun the work of introducing free public transport, starting with the under-18s. The Government's budget delivers none of that and does not address any of the major issues affecting people in Ireland today. It is a Government out of touch with the people.

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