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Updated at 10am
ANTI-HOMELESSNESS AND social justice campaigner Fr Peter McVerry has said he thinks the Government’s plan to cut the top rate of income tax is “pretty obnoxious”.
Ministers have been hinting for weeks that a cut is on the way, with Taoiseach Enda Kenny telling business leaders in a speech last night that next Tuesday’s Budget will be the “first step” towards lowering the highest income tax rate.
Kenny said the 52 per cent rate was “anti-employment and anti-enterprise” and that the package to be announced by Michael Noonan next week would be the “first step of a multi-annual plan” to bring it down.
However, speaking to reporters at an event in Dublin this morning, McVerry said he believed the plan wouldn’t do anything to help vulnerable groups.
“There are an awful lot of people in this country who are struggling,” McVerry said.
A lot of middle and low income people and I fully support any relief that can be given to them but to reduce the top rate of tax excludes those people and only provides benefit to those that are better-off in society and that I would find pretty obnoxious.
The current 52 per cent rate is made up of three components – 41 per cent income tax, 7 per cent Universal Social Charge (USC) and 4 per cent PRSI.
The coalition is expected to lay out its tax plans for the next three years next Tuesday, and the focus in this year’s package will be on changes to income tax and USC. It’s expected all three elements of the rate will be looked at as part of the overall plan.
Cabinet
Meanwhile, Ministers have been arriving for a Budget meeting this morning to discuss he finer detail of next week’s package.
Speaking on the way in, public expenditure minister Brendan Howlin confirmed there would be no further cuts from his Department next week, but said voters shouldn’t expect any extravagant spending.
“There is a very significant difference between where we thought we would be now and that is making further expenditure reductions of 13 hundred million euro [€1.3 billion] — and being able to undo some of the difficult decisions made over recent times.
So there will be no further cuts but that’s not to say that we can be profligate again. We can’t and we won’t be.
A broadly neutral Budget is expected next week. Further cuts and tax increases of €2 billion were initially planned by the Government, but Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said on several occasions recently that such a move won’t be necessary.
I love Northern Ireland; I really, really hope that Sinn Fein get into power so we can all unite.
I’d also sleep easier knowing that London didn’t have to pay the €5bn a year it costs to prop it up.
And would you continue to sleep easier with your tax hiking 2 points to pay for an economic policy written in crayon?
4 seats out of 18 is the reality SF in the 6 counties
The people of the North know SF haven’t delivered for them at all on any fronts
SF implement austerity up there awhile talking out of the side of the mouth down here about being an anti- Austerity party .
The people who voted up there seen through there lies and voted accordingly
SF gave up on a united Ireland decades ago. It’s now all about feeding their egos and securing power as a minority coalition partner with Unionists in a UK regional assembly.
It’s more like £10+ billion.
Lion King ,
SF have help implement austerity up north wether you care to admit it or not .
As for the people down South , it’s safe to say around 95% of the population here couldn’t give 2 f ** ks what happens up there
4% of the 5% are barstool republicans who never set foot in the 6 counties ,
SF are the new Labour Party in waiting , just trying to get their greedy noses in the trough
Where did you get the €5bn figure I thought it was closer to £10bn
More like 12 billion, keeps them dependent at the expense of impoverished northern English counties.
Wasting your time King talkin to these West Brits, as you’ll see by their comments all they care about is money money money. Celtic Tiger showed them up for greedy bunch of shite they are.
Good morning Diarmuid. I see we’re majority Nationalist party AGAIN. Oh The fools the fools eh lol. Ah how is that humble pie tasting now?
Bobby Sands seat handed over to the unionists , the people of Fermanagh and South Tyrone have spoken
Sinn Fein have failed them
they want real change and prosperity now
The shimmers managed to drop 2 seats in NI…..very telling!
Paul, celebrating losing a seat and overall drop in support? Kinda pathetic…
Any romantic idea that if Sinn Fein get into power we can all unite and live happily ever after, is what it is – a totally deceptive ideology derived and nurtured from within Cult Sinn Fein’s propaganda machine.
Rubbing out a line on a map,(as already attempted by them by murderous force) to create a ‘United’ territory is a far, far cry from creating a unity of minds which would be absolutely essential for any such Country to get established, let alone thrive.
Sinn Fein and their IRA have proved themselves to be nothing more than an evil, antichristian cult. If you don’t believe me, check out what their supporters comments are in the on-line Belfast newspapers, just for example. Here is but a typical one made in relation to the Bible and a Catholic prayer that was offered up for them to see sense:-
“You forgot to mention about Mary the virgin who managed to conceive a child without ever having sexual intercourse with a man. Of course she did have sexual intercourse but it was metaphorically performed with Jesus’s biological father (the god) who of course had an alibi as he was in heaven at the time. Her partner Joseph must have been fuming though, isn’t the bible amazing?”
Who could blame the majority of the population in the North (not exclusively Protestant either by any means!) for resisting ‘Sinn Fein’s United Ireland’. I certainly could never trust them to govern our land. Such an occasion would undoubtedly also lead to widespread violence which would then be our responsibility to deal with. Any financial aspects would therefore be humbled into oblivion in terms of protecting human lives and property for an infinitely long time.
Therefore, the best thing Cult Sinn Fein and their IRA could do if their dream is to ever materialise in a civilised, Christian manner is to totally disband and ‘go away’!
To the few illiterates who have posted here already. Giildernew’s vote was up [defeated by a Unionist sectarian pact], Molloy’s vote was up, as was Seely who increased SF vote in Upper Bann [Unionist stronghold], South Belfast vote was also up for the Shinners. [SDLP stronghold]. Onwards to the GE16.
A little reminder for the West Brits on here, who are getting a little uppity.
SF support is down overall, also losing one seat, despite their sectarian politics practiced by the likes of Gerry Kelly.
Scotland gets what it wanted so; Devo-max. All the decision making, none of the bills
@ je suis rep
Is safe to say – you talk a whole load of crap
Generalise much?
One piece of info missing from all the articles about this killing was whether or not the gunman was masked. Does anyone know?
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