Hogan trying to divide and conquer

Fair play to those who protested against the household charge in Donegal, and shame on Phil Hogan.

By saying that those who haven’t paid the household charge will be responsible for cuts in essential services, Phil Hogan and the Government are attempting a desperate “divide and conquer” strategy that cannot be tolerated. There can be no deficit from non-payment, as it is a new charge.

The big picture is that successive governments have privatised or given away anything of real value — our fisheries, oil, gas, minerals (and Coillte if we allow it) — and have inexplicably taken on billions of private debt on our behalf.

For a reality check, let’s compare the €60m “deficit” from non-payment of the household charge with the value of the Barryroe oil field off Cork.

The Barryroe field is now estimated at 1bn to 1.6bn barrels of oil — 1.3bn on average. The average price for a barrel of oil over the last 12 months was €78.85. Multiply the two and you get your overall value of over €100bn worth of oil.

Even after applying the lower estimate of 35% recoverable oil, you’ve got €35bn. From just one oil field the State is missing out on over 500 times the amount that they are trying to squeeze out of people refusing to pay the household charge.

Until the State takes back our valuable assets, and returns the private debt, they cannot justify new taxes or service cuts.

Paul Lynch

Ballina

Co Mayo