‘We’re not going back to Austerity’


Adrienne Wallace: Supported motion

AT A Carlow County Council meeting People Before Profit’s Ccouncillor Adrienne Wallace supported a motion calling for any shortfall in funding to the local authority as a result of Covid-19 to be made up from central government.

It was revealed that there could possibly be a deficit of €5.4million. Members were shocked to be told that the discretionary funding many community groups rely on may not be available.

Speaking on the motion Councillor Wallace said: “We are not going back to austerity measures to pay for this pandemic. Workers took the brunt of the last recession when it was banks and developers who brought the country to its knees – we need to send the message now that we will not accept more attacks on working families.”

 

She told The Kilkenny Observer: “Throughout this pandemic we have been told we’re all in this together. Now we have to make sure that wasn’t merely a token statement.

“People Before Profit is proposing a Covid-19 Solidarity Wealth Tax. Our proposal is to tax the accumulated wealth of the richest 5% of Irish households at a rate of 2% annually – exempting the first million of their assets for a family home and any financial obligations.

“This proposal was costed in October 2019 by the Department of Finance which estimated that it would create revenue for the state of €3.85 billion.

“Additionally, we are calling for the government to accept the now €19billion that Apple owes us in back-taxes.

“Now more than ever we need the government to show that they are on the side of the people, of the frontline workers and not corporations.”

The motion: That this council calls on central government to guarantee that as a result of Covid-19, the financing of our services continue as planned and that central government make up any shortfall in council revenue.

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