Tax individualisation was ‘a costly mistake’

It was good to read Victoria White’s article challenging us as a society to look again at the fallacy of Charlie McCreevy’s tax individualisation policy (Opinion, Aug 22).

Tax individualisation fuelled the property bubble, pushing the cost of housing through the roof and trapped families into needing two incomes to get on the property ladder. This in turn created the latch-key kids generation as both mothers and fathers were forced to go out to work, while providing good care for babies and young children became a nightmare for concerned parents.

The family has suffered greatly as a result and many broke down altogether under the strain, to the detriment of the common good.

Tax individualisation was a disaster, and many of us mothers realised it from the beginning, but politicians weren’t prepared to listen to us.

After all, mothers didn’t matter much to politicians at that time as the EU brand of feminism, which despises mothers and motherhood, was on the march, and dictating how Irish society should be run.

I’m delighted that the penny has dropped for Victoria White, so suddenly, she says, that she could hear the “ping”, that our society should be calibrated for one job per household. The penny also appears to have dropped for former president Mary Robinson — a bit late but welcome. What a pity she didn’t listen to us mothers when we met her in the Aras back in 1993.

Nora Bennis

NCR

Limerick