Speaking at a pre-budget rally outside the Dáil today (Wed 9^th December) Padraig Mannion (left), research officer of the Workers Party called for the greatest possible unity amongst the working class and progressive and left wing parties to defeat the draconian which is coming down the tracks.

 

“As we face into this budget let me immediately destroy one government inspired myth. This is the myth that “we are all in the same boat - we are all in this together”. This is arrant nonsense. The young family who were forced to pay €300 – 400,000 for their home and are now struggling with a crippling mortgage are in a much different boat from the unscrupulous speculator who pocketed €200,000 profit from that very same house”.

 

“The family that has to juggle their food or utility bills in order to visit a doctor; and the family that has to queue for hours in A&E, and wait months for specialist care are in a completely different boat from the consultant topping up their private fees with a €5,000 per week HSE salary.”

 

The second myth which we must shatter is “there is no alternative”. Again this is utter rubbish. However to take the alternative route would mean Fianna Fail and their Green Party partners deserting the builders and the bankers and this will not happen. In the Health Service, for example, there is a stark choice – cut front line services or cut the subsidy to private hospitals, private clinics, private insurance companies and cut the salary of the 66% of consultants who are double jobbing. We know the choice we would make but we also know that this government will protect its private sector friends.”

 

“The Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance have repeated, ad nauseam, that there is no scope for further taxes. But at least 6,000 of the wealthiest people in this state pay no tax at all. These people are so wealthy that they can afford to jet in and out of Ireland every second day to maintain the fiction of being domiciled elsewhere and therefore availing of “tax exile” status. These people are tax fugitives and cannot be allowed to continue to flout the law of the land. They must be taxed on their income exactly as every bin-man; postman, or nurse in this country is taxed. And furthermore, as 34% of wealth is owned by a mere 1% of the population then equity demands that a wealth tax is introduced with all possible haste”.

 

“Jobs can be created in this country. We must also highlight that the wealth of this country, our natural resources of minerals, gas and oil, are being robbed before our very eyes. In grubby deals reeking of corruption massive resources like the Navan Mines and the Corrib Gas field are handed over to foreign multinationals for a mere pittance if indeed there is any charge. We repeat that our natural resources could and should be the basis for massive employment and high value exports and could lay the foundation for sustainable long term economic growth as has happened in Norway.”

 

“The state and the media have gone to extraordinary lengths to foster division amongst us. They have attempted to set state employee against private sector employee; to set the employed worker against the unemployed worker; to set full time worker against the casual worker. It is vital that we do not succumb to this divide and conquer tactic. Unity is strength and from strength comes victory”.