THE GOVERNMENT have come up with yet another outrageous claim; this time we are expected to believe that the rich pay their fair share of taxes!
Brian Lenihan is trying to paint the image of a “highly progressive” Irish taxation system in which those who earn most pay most. To back up his claim he said that the top 1% of earners (who earn more than €200,000) pay 20% of all income tax. But this figure is misleading and Lenihan’s description of the taxation system is miles removed from reality.
Recent Central Bank figures on mortgage arrears reveal an enormous crisis brewing. With all of the focus on the hundreds of austerity measures this government are implementing, the relentless rise in mortgage arrears numbers has, so far, not gotten the attention it deserves.
Who do you think was the biggest loss making financial institution in the world last year? Lehman Brothers? AIG? Citibank? No, it was not a major bank in a major world economy - it was a relatively small developers' bank in Ireland - Anglo Irish Bank. What's more, Anglo Irish Bank is likely to be the biggest loss maker again this year!
If you were still maintaining “hope” that the economic crisis will soon abate the additional €3.5 billion in austerity at the next Budget will result in potentially another 30,000 job losses according to the Nevin Institute.