Madam, – Stephen Collins asks the following in his piece on the difficulties facing the Government in the current crisis (Opinion, July 4th): “How is the Government to make decisions on the report from the so-called An Bord Snip Nua, expected to recommend cuts in welfare and a whole range of State services, or implement a genuine property tax, if people object so strenuously to a very modest tax on second homes?”
Whatever about implementing a “genuine property tax”, or any other type of tax that will target those with all the wealth and therefore the capacity to best carry that burden, Stephen can be assured that when push comes to shove, it will be those on welfare and low pay who will be called upon to pay the piper.
Does he not know that there are fewer votes in this area than elsewhere due to disaffection along with zero party contributions and has the Government not demonstrated in spades so far that it is the party that is being put first and not the country?
And it will be very interesting to see if the people object so strenuously to welfare is cut as they have over the second homes proposal. It will say much about us and what we have become. – Yours, etc,