PR: Irish Budget Blatantly Anti Family
02.12.1999
Youth Defence have long held, and publicly expressed, the view that this Government was ideologically anti-Family. Nonetheless we are surprised to the point of shock at just how blatant the new ideology is in this Budget. The introduction of discriminatory tax bands and the promise of much worse to come may awaken the Irish people to the danger. Charlie Mc Creevy has launched a vicious attack on the single income family with a clear view to its destruction. In subsequent interviews he has underlined the obvious intention by lecturing the public on the need to "be modern" and other such cliches of the Thatcherite school of economic thinking.
The Minister, we are sure, is not unaware of another famous dictum of this school, namely that "there is no such thing as society, only individuals". Certainly what he has done and said is an assault on the notion that people have a value beyond economic productivity. The vital work done by women in the home has long been undervalued in this country simply because it fails to turn up in G.N.P. statistics and the campaigning efforts to have it recognised have fallen on the deafest of ears. It is however a new departure to actually penalise those women who choose to take on the burden of this most important task.
The traditional family is the bedrock of Irish society and is under the most severe pressure as a result of the various policies pursued by recent administrations. The enormous damage of this budgetary measure will fall upon people who are already bearing great stress. The long term consequences are incalculable. It is anti-choice, anti-woman, anti-child, anti-family. Indeed this is quite an achievement in just one measure. The Ministers proposals are a disgrace and even their suggestion indicates his unsuitability for the public office he holds. His resignation would be the most appropriate course. Youth Defence calls on the independent T.D.s especially to withdraw their support for the Government and reject this budget. It is to any fair mind utterly unacceptable.
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