Fianna Fáil leader challenges Government to say what it means by tax cuts

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said it was time for the Government to explain to people what it was considering in terms of tax cuts.

He said the Government, for the fourth month in a row, was giving "exclusive" comments to journalists about how cutting tax this year was a priority. "Labour and Fine Gael have even started attacking each other about whose idea it is to cut taxes," he added.

Mr Martin, who was speaking during the debate on the Government's priorities for the year, said the Coalition had promised an open budgetary process with genuine debate, "so let's start with the promised priority for tax cuts".

He said families were feeling the pressure on their disposable income and the Government’s claim to have left this alone was completely untrue. “This year the property tax has been doubled and a range of other service cuts and charge increases have also impacted on disposable income.”

Broken promises
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said there had been a litany of broken election promises from both Government parties. The Government, he said, had promised a strategic investment bank, an end to upward-only rents and no reduction in child benefit and supports for citizens for disabilities. While the Government had said a lot, it had delivered cuts to a variety of groups.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett described the speeches by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste as "a case of blah, blah, blah, mumble, mumble, mumble and 'success'." He added that it was a load "of bullshit''.

Labour TD John Lyons, who was chairing the proceedings, said that “inappropriate and unparliamentary language” should not be used.