Mattie McGrath slams targeted incentives, calls for fairness to locals
Deputy Mattie McGrath criticised incentive policies that favour multinational firms and large landowners, arguing they discriminate against local workers, small employers and the self-employed. He said he supports the current corporation tax rate but backed an amendment to redress what he called chronic unfairness in incentives and land taxation.
Critique of corporate incentives
He acknowledged the value of foreign direct investment and cited long-standing local employers such as Merck Shop and firms from Boston, but argued that current incentive schemes give large companies advantages that ordinary workers and small businesses cannot access. He recorded support for the corporation tax rate "as it is at the present time" while urging a rethink of selective incentives.
Effect on small businesses and the self-employed
He described small businessmen and the self-employed as being "literally persecuted by revenue" and unable to obtain incentives, despite facing rising costs in taxes, insurance and minimum wage pressures. He said some employers are walking away from being employers and warned that small employers need more support.
Health and public services concerns
He warned of pressures on public services, citing what he called "carnage" in A&Es, the absence of a mental health bed in Tipperary, and an "epidemic of suicides." He said services including nursing cover and certain treatments remain unmet locally and criticised what he sees as chronic underfunding.
Land tax and concentration of land ownership
He recalled an amendment on land tax with Deputy Fitzmaurice that was rejected by committee, and said large landowners hold vast holdings and "endless monies." Speaking from personal experience, he stated he owns land over 500 acres and argued that modern small farmers cannot compete to buy land and that large landholdings should contribute more in tax.
Call for reform and fairness
He told the minister he expected opposition to funding amendments but said the imbalance has gone on too long and supported the proposal under debate. He urged adjustments to deliver "some bit of sense of fairness" for native workers, warned about the government's broadband plans and legal risks, and framed his position as a demand for fair play for local people.
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I am totally appreciated and recognized that we have foreign direct investment and we need it. And my county have, you know, privileged for 40 years to have Merck Shop and many more, Boston and many of them. But this is something, you know, we hear of the cost of job creation and the cost of a small businessman trying to get any incentives. You can't get them. But there's huge incentives for these companies to come in. And I support the corporation tax, let me put it on the record, as it is at the present time. But this is something different. And it's very hard for the ordinary working man, then, or working woman, or indeed self-implied people, who are being literally persecuted by revenue at the moment, Minister. And we have these lube holes, then, here for, you know, these people who weigh on, as has been said, up to three million. A small number we know. But in any case, they're all pretty well-to-do and they have a good income and it makes it even better. So why discriminate against, so negatively, against our own, our own employees, our own employers, our own people? Especially when we are so strapped for cash. So strapped for cash across a wide area, when you have the black hole out the road that you keep turning into, I don't believe you'll ever make a hospital out of it. Because you can't make a silk purse out of a south a year. When you have bad foundations, they'll only go one way. But on this, here, I think it's time that we examine some of these pieces of the lube holes that are there. Incentives. Well, we need to be attractive, certainly. But do we need to have such an equity in the system against our own PYE workers? And indeed, our own self-employed people, who I think are the people we should be looking seriously at to try and support them. I met a hotel here yesterday and he's just browned off. With all the taxes and insurance and everything else, nothing been tackled on the extra rates, extra water charges, extra everything. Minimum wage going up and up and up and up. People are just walking away from being employers and employees then also. Many of them have different income. But this certainly should be changed. It should be changed somewhat. And, Minister, you'll rail against amendments of all sorts here that will bring in extra funding to you. And I'm not going to repeat everything Deputy Doherty said, but we see it. The cannerage in our A&Es. We see we don't have a mental health bed in Tipperary. Not one. We have an epidemic of suicides. And no services. We don't have nurses approved. Minister Daly, in fairness, is doing his best and many others. But it's not there. So I think it's very... The unfairness is chronic. I had an amendment as well with Deputy Fitzmaurice, and you rejected a committee, about the land tax. I'm not going to go on country numbers, so I own land over 500 acres. Laughed it out of the way. These people can buy everything. They have endless monies. Endless monies. And they can control vast swathes of land. Not only in Tipperary, but all over the country. And they're not all in Tipperary. They're Wicklow and they're in Gilday and they're different places. But, again, any farmer with 500 acres should be well able to survive on a family farm that'll make up five of them. But you could just turn your nose on it. Not this year. Last year also. And the year before. And the year before. There's some inherent reason why you won't tackle these fat cats. Or take them on or challenge them. And we recognise they give employment too. And they have excellent prowess in the racing industry. But, they should be made paid a tax. Because the modern small farmer can't buy a bit of land. And this is more of the same. We treat our own people with disdain. And we allow these people to ride roughshod over us day in, day out. With no kind of explanation. It beggars belief. Especially when you're strapped for cash in so many areas. Whether it be orthodontic treatment. Whether it be catafacts people. They have a hilly rain. They'll be bus loading people up the north. The Belfast are blind. It's pathetic. Pathetic. And you're on your merry wave again with the broadband. Not a Ponzi scheme. You'll probably end up in the courts and come crushing down around you. So, I definitely support this amendment. Because it's just inherently unfair. And it's going on too long. And surely we can make some adjustment. To have some bit of sense of fairness. Or some of fair play. To the other, our own native workers. And be fair to them. We're not giving this to other people who come in here. From different lands. And I expect the work to keep our economy going. We're not giving them any kind of incentives like that. But why select, why be so selective for one group of people? Goer maigod.
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