How will FG end the rip off?

[Gladstone]

In 2002
1.VAT rose by 8%.

2. Motor Tax rose by 12%

3. Hospital Charges rose by 26%

4. Drug Refund Scheme rose by 31%

5. VHI charges rose by 18%

6. Cigarettes and alcohol rose by 15%

7. Bank and Card Charges rose by 108%

8. Bin Charges rose by 29%

9. ESB Bills soared by 13%

10. College Fees rose by 9%

11. Parking fees rose by 25%

12. Bus Fares went up by 9%

13. Your TV License was up 40%

· In 2003

14, VHI hike of 8.5%

· In the December 2003 Budget, the Government revealed more stealth taxes;
15. The Drugs Refund Scheme threshold was raised by €8 to €78 per month.

16. A&E charges went up to €45 from €40

17. There was a 15% increase in cost of private bed in public hospital

18. The Government imposed a €5 increase on cost of overnight hospital stay to €45 per night with a cap of 10 nights per year.

19. The third-level student registration fee rose by €80 to €750.

20. The fee for Junior Certificate Examination is up €10 to €82

21. Leaving Certificate Examination fee goes up €10 to €86.

22. Development Levies of between €6,000 and €30,000 were outlined.

23. The minimum contribution all recipients of Supplementary Welfare Allowance/ Rent/ Mortgage Supplement are required to make towards their accommodation was increased by €1 to €13 per week. The allowance is no longer available to couples, where one of them is in full time employment.

24. The fee for a standard 10-year passport is increasing from March 1st by almost a third from €57 to €75.

25. The cost of a three-year passport for infants (aged up to three years) is rising from €12 to €15, and a five-year passport for those aged 3 to 18 years from €12 to €25.

26. The emergency fee for passport applications processed outside office hours is up €37 to €100 for adults.

27. Motor Tax went up 5%.

· And since the Budget
28. The cost of taking a bus, train and DART went up by over 3%.

29. An ESB price hike of 9% was given the green light.

30. VHI prices went up 3% in July 2004.

31. Another 3.5% ESB price rise given the green light for January 2005

· In the 2005 Estimates:
32. Drugs Refund Scheme thresholdup again to €85

33. A&E visit up €10 to €55.

34. In-patient stay up €10 to €55



So, very good, will FG:

1. Cut income tax or change it in some way?

2. Phase VAT downwards?

3. Phase car tax downwards?

4. Introduce Universal healthcare to eliminate health costs to individuals?

5. Cut the TV licence fee?

6. Cut drug taxes on cigs and drink?

7. Eliminate the registration fee?

These are perfectly legit questions! I'm not a FFer and I'm not trying to be smart but if your gonna complain about rip off you must have a plan to end it?

[aodh_rua]

Well solving the rip-off doesn't mean immediately cutting taxes and fees. People feel ripped off because they aren't getting value, and while prices rise services worsen. FG's approach would be to make the public service more efficient and effective. At the very least this would mean no new taxes, and more hopefully would introduce some flexibility in terms of reducing taxes. For example, an FG-led government wouldn't preside over a €50 million voting machine fiasco without taking action against those responsible, preferably before all the public's money is wasted. Similarly, I don't see how any government other than the current one could allow an €8.5 million payroll system spiral into a €232 million project that may never see use.


Personally taking your points, if I was in government I would....

1. Cut income tax or change it in some way?
The principle of progressive taxation is sound, and our income taxes aren't too high relatively speaking. I would do something with the credits and bands to ensure that the lower paid are better serviced. McCreevy's clever plan to not link these to inflation has meant an effective hike in recent years that is not fair on the low paid.

2. Phase VAT downwards?
More transparent VAT charging (as in the US) has been mentioned as a way of educating the consumer, a core part of dealing with rip-offs. I'd also take a look at what does and doesn't fall inside the VAT net, and also avoid double-taxation like paying VAT on duties.

3. Phase car tax downwards?
On VRT, Bertie's devious solution to the end of import duty has run its course and the EU will eventually phase it out. However, it will make a big hole in the income side of the budget. As for road tax, the current method of charging it doesn't make sense. I'd rather move to something based on use and emissions, with specific concessions to hauliers.

4. Introduce Universal healthcare to eliminate health costs to individuals?
FG are already committed to ambitious reforms in healthcare including screenings in early life in order to treat diseases before they enter costly and less easily treatable stages. At €11 billion per annum, we have the money and investment for a worldclass health service - what is lacking is sound management and clear vision.

5. Cut the TV licence fee?
I don't believe that as a small country we can move towards an entirely commercial broadcasting system as public service broadcasting would suffer. I would support the licence fee, but I would eliminate the RTÉ authority and make any increases contingent on some measurable outcome.

6. Cut drug taxes on cigs and drink?
No, but I would do more to deregulate the pub trade.

7. Eliminate the registration fee?
The last rainbow brought in free fees, and when we left office the registration fee was around 10% of what it is now. There is no doubt that universities need money, and either you have free fees or you don't. I think the whole sector needs reform, with perhaps a nod to the US model for the larger campuses.

[ChrIreland]

Don't be too surpised if they have no real answers. Then with their new "sleeping" partner, Pat the Rabbit's Labour, any consensus will be hard to achieve.

[qtman]

FG are already committed to ambitious reforms in healthcare

i.e. privatisation

[hiding behind a poster]

FG are already committed to ambitious reforms in healthcare

i.e. privatisation

You don't think about your answers much, do you? Obviously Liam Twomey's preventive healthcare strategy has just waltzed over the top of your head.

[DaveDublin]

aodh - this is hillarious

After cutting all those taxes could you please tell me exactly just how you would pay for roads or hospitals or schools!!!!

[SPN]

Well solving the rip-off doesn't mean immediately cutting taxes and fees.

The issue isn't that a Government shouldn't take in revenue, the issue is that FF/PD like to talk about their lowering of taxes when in fact all they have done is moved the burden from one place to another.

It the lie that is the problem.

What we should be demanding from FG/Lab are those areas of waste where they are prepared to make cuts, and those underfunded areas where they are prepared to invest more.

Rebalancing the tax take shouldn't be attempted (with some possible exceptions) until the problems of the last 8 years have been undone.

For years they've been robbing us blind. I look forward to the payback - and dream of indictments.

[DaveDublin]

thats all too general - give us some specifics of what you propose

[An Gilladaker]

In 2002
1.VAT rose by 8%.

2. Motor Tax rose by 12%

3. Hospital Charges rose by 26%

4. Drug Refund Scheme rose by 31%

5. VHI charges rose by 18%

6. Cigarettes and alcohol rose by 15%

7. Bank and Card Charges rose by 108%

8. Bin Charges rose by 29%

9. ESB Bills soared by 13%

10. College Fees rose by 9%

11. Parking fees rose by 25%

12. Bus Fares went up by 9%

13. Your TV License was up 40%

· In 2003

14, VHI hike of 8.5%

· In the December 2003 Budget, the Government revealed more stealth taxes;
15. The Drugs Refund Scheme threshold was raised by €8 to €78 per month.

16. A&E charges went up to €45 from €40

17. There was a 15% increase in cost of private bed in public hospital

18. The Government imposed a €5 increase on cost of overnight hospital stay to €45 per night with a cap of 10 nights per year.

19. The third-level student registration fee rose by €80 to €750.

20. The fee for Junior Certificate Examination is up €10 to €82

21. Leaving Certificate Examination fee goes up €10 to €86.

22. Development Levies of between €6,000 and €30,000 were outlined.

23. The minimum contribution all recipients of Supplementary Welfare Allowance/ Rent/ Mortgage Supplement are required to make towards their accommodation was increased by €1 to €13 per week. The allowance is no longer available to couples, where one of them is in full time employment.

24. The fee for a standard 10-year passport is increasing from March 1st by almost a third from €57 to €75.

25. The cost of a three-year passport for infants (aged up to three years) is rising from €12 to €15, and a five-year passport for those aged 3 to 18 years from €12 to €25.

26. The emergency fee for passport applications processed outside office hours is up €37 to €100 for adults.

27. Motor Tax went up 5%.

· And since the Budget
28. The cost of taking a bus, train and DART went up by over 3%.

29. An ESB price hike of 9% was given the green light.

30. VHI prices went up 3% in July 2004.

31. Another 3.5% ESB price rise given the green light for January 2005

· In the 2005 Estimates:
32. Drugs Refund Scheme thresholdup again to €85

33. A&E visit up €10 to €55.

34. In-patient stay up €10 to €55



So, very good, will FG:

1. Cut income tax or change it in some way?

2. Phase VAT downwards?

3. Phase car tax downwards?

4. Introduce Universal healthcare to eliminate health costs to individuals?

5. Cut the TV licence fee?

6. Cut drug taxes on cigs and drink?

7. Eliminate the registration fee?

These are perfectly legit questions! I'm not a FFer and I'm not trying to be smart but if your gonna complain about rip off you must have a plan to end it?

How times have changed

[southwestkerry]

They taxed the poor old mother, they taxed the poor old ones with all their ruddy taxes they still cant count up to one.