Mary Lou McDonald challenged on Sinn Féin tax plans

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald was forced on the back foot as a businessman confronted her, claiming the party would “punish” workers and tax them “out of existence”.

Sun, 21 Feb, 2016 - 00:00

Juno McEnroe

At a Sinn Féin event against water charges, Ms McDonald was interrupted as the “concerned citizen” fired out criticisms against its tax plans and Gerry Adams’ blunders on financial matters.

A Right2Change anti-water charges march takes place in Dublin today. Organisers will highlight 106 election candidates backing the call to scrap charges.

At the Grafton St event yesterday, Ms McDonald faced questions about Mr Adams’ recent handling of tax matters, especially his message about taking 7% extra tax from those earning over €100,000. Mr Adams had seemed to suggest this is the only rate at which higher earners would be charged, while the actual rate would be in addition to current income tax levels.

Ms McDonald conceded that “anybody can fumble a figure” in an interview.

The Dublin Central TD was then confronted by Fergus Crawford, the CEO of the Irish branch of Swiss investment firm Sarasin and brother of ex-Fine Gael TD Seymour Crawford, who berated her about the tax plans: “For middle-income people, you’re going to kill their pensions. Have you seen the figures or can your leader do the maths?”.

An unsuspecting Mary Lou McDonald engages in a not so brief encounter with a member of the public on Grafton Sthttps://t.co/XBplNKFvvN
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 19, 2016

Asked by Ms McDonald why he would not vote for her party, Mr Crawford said: “Because you’re going to strip the poor people of this country, middle-income people. My children don’t want to aspire to €69,000 a year, where you bring in this USC [sic]. It’s appalling.”

Ms McDonald said half the workforce in Ireland earned €28,000 or less, and Sinn Féin’s package is not about “punishing” people.

He replied: “And people who want to work hard and make a life for themselves here, you want to punish them. Where the State loses more when someone’s made unemployed than the person loses — there’s something wrong there, when you pay 59% tax.”

Sinn Féin, if elected, would implement this level of tax on high earners. Ms McDonald said the majority of workers do not earn €69,000.

Mr Crawford fired back: “The best way for this country is to give young people opportunities. And taxing them out of existence is not the way. Telling them that they can earn €69,000, you’re going to lamp them for whatever percent you have on USC. What about their pensions, have you looked at your numbers? I don’t think your party leader has because he didn’t seem to know what was going on [during an interview].”