Calls for Soc Dems to clarify USC position after Waterford councillor opposes motion
Cllr Mary Roche voted against the motion which was brought forward at the July plenary meeting of Waterford City and County Council
Calls for clarity have been made after Waterford councillor Mary Roche voted against a motion which called for the abolition of the Universal Social Charge (USC).
The Social Democrats councillor voted against the motion which was brought forward at the July plenary meeting of Waterford City and County Council.
She was the only councillor to do so, whilst Fine Gael councillor Jim Darcy abstained. As a result, the motion passed by 29 votes to 1.
Following the meeting, two local Sinn Féin politicians have called for the Social Democrats to clarify its position on the matter.
Waterford Sinn Féin TD Conor McGuinness said: “The Government has spent years promising workers that the USC would be abolished, yet every Budget comes and goes with another broken promise.
“Last year’s Budget failed to give workers the break they needed, despite repeated commitments from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
“As we approach another Budget, workers and families deserve clarity.
“The Social Democrats should now tell people whether they support keeping the USC or whether they support its abolition.”
He went on to outline his own party’s position on the tax, which he believes should be abolished.
“Sinn Féin has been clear and consistent. We would abolish the USC on all income up to €45,000, taking the vast majority of workers out of the charge immediately, before moving progressively and responsibly towards its complete abolition.
“Working people have carried enough of the burden. They deserve to keep more of what they earn.”
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin councillor Joeanne Bailey said that the Social Democrats had isolated themselves by opposing the council motion.
Cllr Bailey said: “Councillors had an opportunity to send a clear message to the Government that the time has come to abolish the USC.
“Every party represented on the council supported that principle except the Social Democrats.
“The USC was introduced as a temporary measure during a financial crisis. More than 15 years later, workers are still paying it while the Government continues to break its promises to scrap it.
She concluded by saying that people in Waterford need the tax to be abolished amid the rising cost of living.
“Families across Waterford are dealing with rising household bills, housing costs and everyday expenses.
“They need practical measures that put money back into their pockets, not political parties defending a tax that was never intended to be permanent.”