Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last week, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour councillors and some independents in County Tipperary voted in favour of increasing the tax on family homes in Tipperary through the local property tax, LPT. Yet, these same parties were the ones that opposed the payment of Apple billions that were due to our State when this country was reeling from the disastrous effects of the financial crisis, brought on by the mismanagement of the economy by a Fianna Fáil Government, which saw the suspension of many capital projects.

The housing crisis stemmed in large part from then although it has been exacerbated by the approach taken by this Government and previous ones led by Fine Gael. Any assertion by the Government that by opposing the payment of €14 billion it was seeking to protect Ireland’s reputation is false. This verdict has not damaged Ireland’s reputation. Ireland’s reputation was damaged when this first came to light and by the first ruling in 2016. Neither did the case ever infringe on our tax sovereignty. It was always about state aid and one multinational benefitting from a deal not available to others. Then, to actively oppose payment at a cost of a further €10 million flew in the face of people struggling to secure the services or avail of the infrastructure they needed.

Here we are now with a housing shortage and the mismanagement of water and sewage infrastructure in Tipperary, with hospitals in the mid-west struggling to cope and mental health beds in Tipperary having been closed, with under-resourced children’s disability and education services and with communities having to continuously beg for funding for each phase of the N24 project. If Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had their way, Irish taxpayers would be down €14 billion, on top of the disastrous infrastructural deficits that are to be seen in communities across the country.

Deputy Leddin spoke of this side of the House wanting to bring up the past. We do not want to bring up the past. We want to talk about the future as well but if we do not learn from the mistakes of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael-led Governments with the Green Party and others, we will continue to squander taxpayers’ money. I have no confidence in this Government to act in the interests of communities, as it appears to favour of those who have vast means over those who do not.

See this speech in context