Richard O'Donoghue: Urges Voters to Abandon Government Over Taxes
Richard O'Donoghue criticised the Government's budget and tax changes, centring his remarks on the Universal Social Charge and its alleged shift from a "temporary" levy to a permanent burden. He argued the budget moved tax liability between measures, leaving families and frontline workers worse off and urged Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael supporters to withdraw their backing.
Richard O'Donoghue recalled the Universal Social Charge being introduced in 2011 as a temporary measure. He described the USE as a tax on most income types and said the Government treated a frozen tax as an excuse to lower one charge while increasing another - effectively shifting the burden.
He listed household examples he said are worse off after the budget - married couples with children, cohabiting couples, single parents and single renters in high-income jobs. He accused the Government of presenting tax changes that leave ordinary families with less disposable income.
O'Donoghue read an email from a full-time nurse whose household now faces the prospect of taking second jobs, citing rising costs and children emigrating for work. He used the anecdote to illustrate his claim that frontline workers and public servants work hard yet see no reward from current policy.
He directly addressed grassroots supporters of Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael who told him they feel let down, urging them to stop supporting the Government for the sake of their children and grandchildren. O'Donoghue framed this as a plea to voters to force change by withdrawing electoral support.
He accused the Government and its departments of repeated waste and a lack of accountability while ordinary businesses and the self-employed are penalised for mistakes. O'Donoghue called for greater scrutiny of spending and warned that repeating the same policies will produce the same damaging outcomes.
Universal Social Charge and 2011
Richard O'Donoghue recalled the Universal Social Charge being introduced in 2011 as a temporary measure. He described the USE as a tax on most income types and said the Government treated a frozen tax as an excuse to lower one charge while increasing another - effectively shifting the burden.
Budget Changes and Family Impact
He listed household examples he said are worse off after the budget - married couples with children, cohabiting couples, single parents and single renters in high-income jobs. He accused the Government of presenting tax changes that leave ordinary families with less disposable income.
Frontline Workers' Hardship
O'Donoghue read an email from a full-time nurse whose household now faces the prospect of taking second jobs, citing rising costs and children emigrating for work. He used the anecdote to illustrate his claim that frontline workers and public servants work hard yet see no reward from current policy.
Appeal to Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael Supporters
He directly addressed grassroots supporters of Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael who told him they feel let down, urging them to stop supporting the Government for the sake of their children and grandchildren. O'Donoghue framed this as a plea to voters to force change by withdrawing electoral support.
Accountability and Waste
He accused the Government and its departments of repeated waste and a lack of accountability while ordinary businesses and the self-employed are penalised for mistakes. O'Donoghue called for greater scrutiny of spending and warned that repeating the same policies will produce the same damaging outcomes.
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Transcript
Minister, Fianna Fáil was once known as the Workers' Party, Fianna Gael was once known as the Farmers' Party. All parties have turned their back on the hard-working people of Fianna Gael and Fianna Fáil supporters that put you back into the House. You have to put the two fingers up to them and tell them we don't care. Constituents of both parties, which people from the parties have voted for me and I work for all of them, I work for everyone, I don't say the friendship between parties and non-parties, I work for everyone. They are coming to me now and they say Richard, these are people in their 70s, grass roots of parties and said what has gone wrong with this Government. They said our children and our grandchildren are going to pay the price for this Government. So I am going to take you back to 2011. The Universal Social Charge was introduced in 2011 as part of the Irish Government's effort to stabilise finances during an economic downturn. The USE is a tax payable on your total income. It was at the time saying it was a temporary measure. It is a bit like everything else in here. The guidelines for wind turbines are temporary but we will get to 2006. So we are at 2011, a temporary issue brought in 14 years ago. What is a Universal Charge? The Universal Social Charge is a tax on income that applies to most types of income including wages, salary, bonuses, pensions and self-employment income. USE is calculated based on the growth income before any deductions exemptions are applied. So what did you do in the budget? Do you think these people in this country are fools? He lowered the USE charge which to me is illegal because he told them it was a temporary charge and he froze the taxes. So there was no movement up in the tax income. So what did you do? You took it from one side and put it on the other side. And every family here on the Independent says here today, Married couple with three children, they have less well off today. Married couple with one child is less well off today. Cohabiting couples are less well off today. Single mother with one child less well off today. Single renter in high income jobs less well off today. So I am going to read you something from a person that emailed me in today. I am a nurse. I am in full time 37.5 hours a week and whatever overtime I can get. My husband is a bus driver and works full time 40 hours per week. We have been discussing that one of us needs to get a second job due to the rising cost of everything. After this budget both of us need a second job. We have two children, our eldest son deferred his college as we couldn't afford his fees and keep him supported and now he has moved to Australia. I can't see the future for him to return home. Our youngest son will probably follow him in the next two years because the same thing. They see how hard their parents work and that they have nothing left over at the end of the month for a treat. Frontline service workers, regardless what you are in in this country. The people in this country wear their heart on their sleeve. They work tirelessly on every sector of job that is there. From the lower income to the higher income they work hard. They pay taxes. They pay taxes for the less well off. They pay taxes for the vulnerable. And they have never seen one reward from this government. And this is coming from Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael supporters that were looking for ye to lead. But history repeats itself over and over again. And what is a sign of madness? If I keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result is a sign of madness. And I am asking the people of Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael that have supported ye for years. Please, for your children's sake, for your grandchildren's sake, stop supporting ye. Because you are making the same mistakes over and over again. No accountability. Money being wasted time and time again. And the hardworking people and the hardworking companies, self-employed in this country, if they do one thing wrong, they are penalised. Because there is accountability. They have to make profit to stay open. They have to make profit to pay for their employees that are working for them. Because they want to support their families. But our government and their department waste money hand over fist. And there has never been accountability. So I am asking the people of Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael that have supported you. Please, do not support this government any more. Because if you do, your children and grandchildren do not have a future. Thank you, Chair.