Gormley not taken by tax 'sweeteners'

Green briefing:The Green Party has said it will not go into coalition with parties that are offering voters a "tax cuts cash bonanza" at the expense of social and health services.

Speaking at the launch of the party's manifesto on older people yesterday, chairman John Gormley said all other parties, including his potential coalition partners Fine Gael and Labour, were involved in auction politics by offering unsustainable tax cuts.

He said their economic growth projections were "far too optimistic", and if the economy did not meet these projections the promised tax cuts would be at the expense of social services.

"Tax cuts are not as important as social services; we're talking about social services across the board, in health, in education. We would like to see a stronger response on these issues from the parties who want to go into coalition with us."

Mr Gormley said the finance spokespeople from each party needed to publicly debate the issue of economic growth so that the public could see what was achievable within the more realistic growth rates of about 4 per cent.

"As far as we are concerned the other parties need to know that our priority is social services and not a tax-cut sweetener, and if these parties intend to give a tax cuts cash bonanza we are not buying into that and we will not be part of it."

He said improving the quality of life of older people was far more important than postelection tax giveaways.

The Greens in government would raise the State pension to €334 per week as an "immediate priority", and would work toward increasing it to 60 per cent of the average income.

The party also proposes local 24-hour primary care centres consisting of community-based multi-disciplinary health clinics, separate A&E access areas for older people, 400 acute public beds and 400 public long-stay/community nursing unit places per annum over the next five years.

To avoid a repeat of the "horrors of Leas Cross and other shameful care facilities", Mr Gormley said his party would establish legally-enforceable care standards in consultation with older people and their families, and enforced by a care inspectorate.

"Older persons have made, and continue to make, profound contributions to our society.

" It is both possible and right to extend to them the services and treatment they deserve," he said.