The EU is so worried about Ireland’s post-pandemic finances it wants us to bring in water charges!
Yes, you heard me right.
And those know-all Greens who are currently in government believe we are wasting far too much H2O and also secretly want to bring in a new tax for this most basic of commodities.
They just haven’t had the balls to publicly say it yet.
Their philosophy appears to be that if we pay for it, we will use less of it.
Well I can tell you where they can all stick their water charges – right up their backside.
The people of this country are paying enough tax as it is.
The EU says the rest of Europe has water charges, thus so should we.
But no other country in the continent has a tax called the Universal Social Charge, whatever that means, which is one of the most aggressive levies ever seen and hits everyone in this country.
It was brought in 10 years ago to be exact, to pay for Ireland bailing out the banks.
The Universal Social Charge was only supposed to be a temporary measure, but once it started bringing in a staggering FOUR BILLION a year,
the Department of Finance decided we are having this forever.
If you read the Government’s official explanation, it was introduced to replace the employment and health levy, which is more nonsense.
There is not a mention that it was a tax to save the banks. And those levies were peanuts compared to the dreaded USC.
I am sure that just like me you don’t mind paying water charges – provided the Universal Social Charge is axed.
But there is about as much chance of that happening as Louth winning the All-Ireland.
We are already one of the most taxed people in Europe, yet the EU and the Greens want us to pay more.
Brussels is concerned about the drop in our corporation tax take.
My view is, if we need more cash we increase the 12.5% corporate tax rate, not bring in new taxes on the public.
People in Ireland resent having to pay water charges because it never stops raining – the
one thing we have plenty of is water.
The last time Fine Gael tried to bring in such a levy was in 2014 and it ended in disaster.
The former EU Commissioner Phil Hogan was driving things at the time.
The Labour party in particular, which was part
of that Enda Kenny government, paid a heavy price at the polls for supporting the idea and was wiped out in the general election over it.
If Micheal Martin has any sense he will tell the EU and the Greens to get stuffed.
Otherwise he will be dealing with a water charges rebellion on top of a housing crisis, which all in all is a recipe for disaster.
