Business lobby’s budget wish list ‘contradictory’

Some of the largest business lobby groups have been accused of being contradictory with their wish lists for next month’s budget.

In his contribution to yesterday’s sitting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Deputy Joe Higgins branded representatives of Ibec, the Small Firms Association and Chambers Ireland — each of whom were addressing the meeting — as “contradictory” and “supporters of Government austerity”. He added each was being supportive of more public service cuts, instead of higher taxes for big multinational firms.

In response, Ibec chief economist Fergal O’Brien said that the employers’ body had “no austerity fetish” and had not been obsessed with austerity for the sake of it; adding the heavy adjustments seen in recent budgets had been essential for the restoration of economic stability.