Sinn Féin Vice President Mary Lou McDonald and her Dáil colleagues met with EU Commissioner Olli Rehn this morning to rule out signing up to the government, Fine Gael and Labour’s cosy budgetary consensus of cuts that target the low paid, unemployed and front line services such as education and health.
Speaking after the meeting Ms McDonald said: “The message Sinn Féin delivered to Olli Rehn this morning was very simple. Insisting that Ireland reduce its deficit from 32% to 3% in just four years is bonkers. Fine Gael and Labour’s support of the government’s 2014 deadline just goes to prove the extent of the political establishment’s cosy relationship. The only consensus that Sinn Féin is interested in is a consensus for recovery. Protecting the banks and high earners by targeting the low-paid, unemployed and front line services is not a plan Sinn Féin can or will sign up to.
“Sinn Féin is the only political party to publish in full its Budget proposals in advance of meeting Oli Rehn and also the only party to set out an honest and realistic timeline to reduce the budget deficit by 2016. Recovery and growth will collapse under the weight of the 2014 deadline. If Sinn Féin’s radical budgetary plans are not implemented then Ireland is on a road to nowhere. We will implement a Wealth Tax, we will cap public pay at €100,000 and we will use the National Pension Reserve Fund monies to invest in jobs instead of bailing out the banks. Fianna Fáil’s austerity model has failed absolutely. Fine Gael and Labour want to deliver more of the same.” ENDS
