Taoiseach Wrong On No New Taxes Claim

Last week we heard the Taoiseach Enda Kenny claim in a major speech that Ireland did not increase taxes during the recession. I wonder what country he has been living in for the past seven years because there have been massive tax increases and extra charges for every single citizen in the country young and old. In terms of income tax, several credits and allowances were either abolished or reduced.The USC, probably the most unfair and severe charge ever introduced in this country, hit every earner in the pocket since it was introduced. PRSI allowances have been cut and in some cases abolished. VAT rates on many goods have gone up from 21% to 23%. Those tax increases do not include Property Tax and Water Charges and increases in Third Level fees. The economy might be emerging from the recession, and that is welcome, but to suggest that there were no extra taxes during the lifetime of this government is just plain wrong. In fact this week IBEC reckon that 7 billion Euro in extra taxes were levied on the people of the country during the bailout alone and most of those taxes were levied on middle income earners. The Taoiseach should come into the Dail and set the record straight on the matter.