Mattie McGrath slams U.S.C. as 'heinous' and denounces NGOs
Mattie McGrath criticised the U.S.C., calling it a "disingenuous and heinous cruel tax" and described it as punitive and regressive. He challenged the influence of NGOs, questioned their scale and cost, and accused Finnegale and Fianna Fáil of being beholden to wealthy interests.
McGrath said the U.S.C. was introduced as a temporary measure after the crash and argued it remains a punitive, regressive charge on ordinary working people. He repeated that the coalition government had promised to abolish it and called the tax "disingenuous and heinous."
He acknowledged that the very rich should be taxed heavily but warned the "gravy train has to stop" and accused Finnegale and Fianna Fáil of being beholden to beef moguls and big business. McGrath said those ties have grown "time out of hand."
McGrath criticised the scale and reach of non-governmental organisations, describing them as "like a field of daisies" and claiming there are 36,000 NGOs costing 6 billion a year. He said while some NGOs do necessary work, the sector's growth has gone beyond what he views as valid and that NGOs now exert undue influence over government policy.
In the debate McGrath referenced Deputy Murphy and recent campaigning, suggesting the electorate should decide in contested cases. He called out what he described as weak ministers and said the amendment would be pushed to a vote but expected it to be voted down by its supporters, calling that outcome comical.
U.S.C. criticised
McGrath said the U.S.C. was introduced as a temporary measure after the crash and argued it remains a punitive, regressive charge on ordinary working people. He repeated that the coalition government had promised to abolish it and called the tax "disingenuous and heinous."
Wealth, business and the "gravy train"
He acknowledged that the very rich should be taxed heavily but warned the "gravy train has to stop" and accused Finnegale and Fianna Fáil of being beholden to beef moguls and big business. McGrath said those ties have grown "time out of hand."
NGOs under scrutiny
McGrath criticised the scale and reach of non-governmental organisations, describing them as "like a field of daisies" and claiming there are 36,000 NGOs costing 6 billion a year. He said while some NGOs do necessary work, the sector's growth has gone beyond what he views as valid and that NGOs now exert undue influence over government policy.
Parliamentary dynamics and vote outcome
In the debate McGrath referenced Deputy Murphy and recent campaigning, suggesting the electorate should decide in contested cases. He called out what he described as weak ministers and said the amendment would be pushed to a vote but expected it to be voted down by its supporters, calling that outcome comical.
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Transcript
Look, we could spend hours talking on this and, you know, the U.S.C. is, as I said at the U.S.C., is a really disingenuous and heinous cruel tax that was brought in, as I said, as a temporary arrangement after the crash. And the coalition government have promised to abolish it. I know you're enough spin doctors to do this for you, but is the real issue of this punitive charge on ordinary working people. It's punitive and, as I said, it's regressive. And I certainly won't take any lectures from him and talk to Monaco, talk to Murphy about us standing up for ordinary people. We put her name before the electorate that he raised and myself, and it's up to the electorate to decide, as in Deputy Murphy's case. But I know from social media Deputy Murphy is pleading with people to come out and help him. He's afraid he'd be swamped up or removed. I don't know what panic he's in. But if he's doing work, look after the people that shouldn't bother him. And I actually agree with Deputy Murphy 100% as regards the rich, the super rich, and they should be taxed and taxed heavily. Okay, they're entrepreneurs and they give a lot of good work and all, but this has to stop somewhere. The gravy train has to stop, but the problem is that Finnegale and Fianna Fáil are beholden to these people. The beef moguls and the big business people, and we've seen it, time out of hand. And the other group then, who Deputy Murphy supports, is all the NGOs. They're like a field of daisies now. There's so many in the field. And if they can be where the cowhead did our business, there'd be dozens of them. There's 36,000 in non-governmental organisations, costing 6 billion a year. I question the validity of tens of thousands of them. Some very good people there, certainly a good, necessary NGO, but this has gone beyond. They're in front of the government, behind the government, beside you, before me, around you. They're just dictating government policy. And it doesn't matter what people in this house, legislation, try to bring in on amendments. They have, they're, they're, they're, there's such a grip around the handle of the power, because they've been allowed to by weak ministers. Weak, weak ministers. Weak ministers. And I think that's very, very sad. So, I have no, I have no more to say on this amendment. We know we're going to push it to a vote, and we know that it's, it will be voted down by people here that are speaking in support of it, which is the comical part of it. Thank you, Chair.