The ‘Super’ rich getting richer - the poor just get poorer

26 May 2003

Recent revelations that some of Ireland’s top earners have managed to keep their tax bills below 5% by availing of generous tax breaks have outraged the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU).

‘On one hand we have unemployed people and those in low paid employment, struggling to escape the poverty trap due to recent Government cutbacks and decisions and on the other we have the extremely wealthy paying little or no tax – its totally unacceptable,’ said Mr Eric Conroy, General Secretary, INOU.

‘At a time of economic uncertainty, rising unemployment and extortionate consumer prices the issue between how much tax the super rich pay and the inadequate services and supports to those who need it most is very real’.

‘While the Government has failed in its commitment to remove all national minimum wage earners from the tax net many of these tax loopholes which benefit the wealthy still exist. It is unacceptable that employees on very low wages pay tax while others can exploit the tax system to their advantage to reduce their own tax bill’.

The eradication of these tax reliefs and loopholes could save the Exchequer hundreds of millions of Euro and the Department of Finance is supposedly currently examining the issue. However, the INOU urges the Minister for Finance for reasons of equity and anti-poverty to remove all national minimum wage earners from the tax net and to use this saved money to ensure that resources and supports are available to assist people take up suitable and sustainable jobs.