Families across Co Donegal will soon begin to feel the pain of a range of cutbacks and new taxes in Budget 2013, Fianna Fáil Deputy Charlie McConalogue has warned.
According to Deputy McConalogue, it is lower and middle income families and particularly those with young children who will bear the brunt of the cuts that begin to take effect from this month.
“The reality of a budget that was riddled with broken promises and deeply unfair cuts will hit home in households across Donegal in the coming weeks,” the Donegal Deputy said.
“I have spoken to so many people here over the Christmas period who already feel they have been squeezed from every angle and they are genuinely worried about how they will cope with more cuts in their household budgets this year. The bottom line is that the package of measures in Budget 2013 amount to an attack on lower and middle income families who are already struggling to keep their heads above water.
“While the rich are protected, it is young families across the country who will pay the most. They will soon see their child benefit cut, the clothing and footwear allowance cut and maternity benefit taxed. And as if this wasn’t enough, they will be expected to pay hundreds of euro a year in property taxes on a home they cannot afford as it is.
“More than a quarter of all mortgage holders are now in difficulty and this Government has not lifted a finger to help them. There was not a single measure in the budget to help people who are struggling with their mortgage. Instead, the Government is slapping a tax on the family home at the worst possible time. I have been contacted by many householders over the past weeks and months who cannot pay their basic bills as it is and they just can’t understand how the Government expects them to pay taxes on their family home on top of everything else.
“It is not any one of these measures in isolation – it is the combination of new cuts and taxes being implemented this year that will push many families into severe difficulty. People here understand that tough decisions had to be made in this budget. What they cannot understand is why ordinary families, lower income workers and carers were targeted for the brunt of the pain while Fine Gael looks after big earners,” said Deputy McConalogue.
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