Old promises renewed

THE general election is about a year away. However, we have already witnessed the first round of auction politics in the shape of the PDs’ tax proposals.

These include a reduction of the higher rate of income tax to 40%. Funny enough, this is exactly what they promised in 2002, but did not deliver.

Their new tax policy also proposes to allow taxpayers to earn up to €50,000 at the standard rate. Once again, we’ve been made this promise before.

In 2002, both FF and the PDs promised to raise the tax thresholds so that no more than 20% of taxpayers would pay the higher rate. They did not deliver.

More than 250,000 people pay tax at the higher rate today than they did four years ago. As the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice shame on me.

Cllr Leo Varadkar

Rosehaven

Carpenterstown

Dublin 15