Sharing the burden? Not with this household charge

IN the Programme for Government, it states that in tackling the country’s difficulties “... both our parties are committed to protecting the vulnerable and to burden-sharing on an equitable basis”.

The new household charge will see, on the one hand, a household living in social housing with an income of €1,000+ a week paying nothing, while down the road a person living on a state pension in a non-social house will be forced to pay.

In addition, an person in receipt of unemployment benefit living in a one bed-roomed apartment will pay the same as a millionaire living in a 10 bed-roomed mansion.

So this is “burden sharing on an equitable basis”, according to Fine Gael and Labour. No wonder Bertie and Charlie McCreevy felt safe enough to come out, pose for the press, and strut about Ballybrit again.

Jim O’Sullivan

Rathedmond, Sligo