Budget must give 'real, tangible security' not just hope, says McDonald

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald said she was disappointed the cut to PUP was not reversed.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald says that yesterday’s Budget "has some good parts" it contains "grave and serious omissions".

The Government yesterday announced €90 billion in spending across society, but Ms McDonald said that it did not go far enough in certain areas.

"I would say at this time that money of that scale was necessary and it has to give more than just a feeling of hope.

"It has to give real, tangible, security, and some level of certainty in very, very difficult time."

Ms McDonald, who argued that "action is needed" in terms of tackling the spread of Covid-19, said that businesses will need more support that the Covid Response Support Scheme (CRSS) announced yesterday.

"I am very disappointed that the cut to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment has not been reversed - that is a mistake.

"We're very disappointed that the Wage Subsidy Scheme remains not fit for purpose - that is a mistake. And there are even graver mistakes in that at this precise point in time, in the autumn of this year and heading towards the winter, with very aggressive virus transmission, there is every chance and possibility that we will have to have higher levels of restriction across the state.

"And in those circumstances, workers and businesses have a perfect right to expect that the State intervenes and intervenes in a way that is more than tokenistic that is effective."

Ms McDonald called the CRSS a "frontloading of tax relief" and said that it does not address cash flow issues which businesses are facing.

She added that the commercial rates waiver must be continued until June and said that she would prefer her party's tourism voucher adopted instead of the "messy and inefficient" Stay and Spend scheme.

Ms McDonald said that the Budget did not go far enough on housing saying “when you drill down and tease out the figures, I believe you will see the ‘same old same old’ housing programme as previous governments.” 

Ms McDonald told Newstalk Breakfast that when one moved away from the figures and looked at what the Budget would mean for people, the Budget provided more supports for landlords than renters.

If you're a renter, then you've been let down, it’s disgraceful.

Ms McDonald called for an annual tax credit for renters (equivalent to one month’s rent).

Protections for renters were necessary she said as the majority of families entering into homelessness came from the private rental sector.

The Dublin Central TD said she could not understand how any Government serious about housing was allowing this situation to proceed.

Additional spending on health in the Budget was not just welcome it was necessary, she said.

But intensive care capacity was still nowhere near where it needed to be.

Ongoing issues with regard to recruitment and pay equality also needed to be addressed.