BY THE time the budget comes around next week, we will all have had time to digest its content.
Now we hear there is going to be a price hike in the cost of motor tax along with everything else.
Isn’t it a long way from the early 1990s, when, in an effort to help people better understand what was going to happen, the then junior minister at the Department of Finance, Phil Hogan, sent an information document around to the various Irish newspapers the morning the budget was due to be delivered.
Naturally, there was outcry from the opposite side of the House which resulted in Mr Hogan falling on his sword.
However, this time around, the now minister for the environment doesn’t have a problem going on television to talk about an increase in motor taxation, but to ‘reassure’ everyone it will not be in the 60% range.
Next week two government ministers will be needed to deliver all the bad news: first, minister Howlin on how there are going to be major cost savings in various government departments, followed the next day by minister Noonan on the cuts we have had time to absorb over the past couple of weeks. The so-called ‘cuts’ will not really be cuts at all.
In other organisations, they would be called bringing a sense of reality to a situation, such as a reduction in holiday entitlements from eight weeks downwards, the abolition of ‘local’ days off, getting rid of quangos which did little or no good anyway … the list goes on.
We already know of a range of cuts or changes that may or may not be introduced in the areas of health, education and social welfare, so what minister Noonan will be talking about is anyone’s guess.
We do know that all the fanfare over reduced motor taxation a couple of years ago will turn out to be nothing but talk after all.
The motor industry took a huge hit when the new bands were introduced, but everyone reassured them – and the general public – this was needed.
Now it seems the needs of the national coffers outweigh everything else.
Last year a scrappage scheme was introduced to help boost the ailing motor industry, but can you imagine the frustration of all associated with this industry if they now find out that there will be a huge hike in the cost of motor tax on low-emission engines.
So much for a balancing out, which they were all told would happen over a period of years when forecourts all over the country filled up with high-emission engines and values of so called high-end cars fell like stones.
That industry, just like construction, has been on its knees over the past few years.
Those who have managed to survive have done so by taking drastic cuts and now they are being asked to take more when the cause of a lot of our woes – the banks – practically get away scot free.
We all saw how reluctant they were to pass on a percentage reduction in mortgage rates a couple of weeks ago and, irrespective of whatever spin they put on things, those in business will tell you it is impossible to get €5 from any bank at present, short of giving them the deeds to your house – if they don’t have them already.
Remember, this is only the second in a series of hairshirt budgets this country has agreed to as part of the terms of our bailout.
Irrespective of whatever comes down the line next week, there will be more bad news in the months to follow.
Next week we can look forward to the blame game being played out in the Dáil.
You will have the current government blame everything on its predecessor, while those of Fianna Fáil who are still left in the Dáil will cry ‘foul’ about pre-election promises.
All the while, you will have people who will not be able to make ends meet, people who will become homeless, sick people who will be unable to afford to buy medicine, hospitals which will be overcrowded, social welfare recipients and the elderly who will go cold or hungry.
Let’s forget the blame game and for once adopt an attitude where politics takes second place to the needs of the people. We voted for change earlier this year, but all we got were different faces.
There is very little that can be done about the budget we face next week, but now is the time to start working to ensure that this is the last time our country has to face such a predicament.