A LOCAL Sinn Féin representative said last weekend that the unofficial campaign to reverse recently announced Budget cuts is “gathering momentum” and urged the public to keep exerting pressure on the Government until it acknowledges alternative options.

Maurice Quinlivan said that the “totally unjust” cuts do not have to be permanent and if there is enough public pressure “frontline health and education services can be protected”.

Speaking at a fundraising event in the city on Saturday night he said that “everyone knows that the economy is in a very difficult situation and that the shortfall in public finances has to be addressed urgently. But instead of targeting

working families and those most vulnerable the government should have asked

those who can better afford to do so to pay a little more”.

“They should also have brought forward a job creation strategy to get as many people as possible back into the workforce, with the aim of increasing revenue so as to avoid further cuts, and lessening the pressure on the social welfare system. The Government does not have public support for their budget. Public anger around the medical card and class size measures is palpable and warranted,” he said.

“Fianna Fáil with their budget as well as attempting to target the elderly for cutbacks will ensure that soon we will have the largest class sizes in Europe. This I believe will affect many schools here in Limerick. The campaign against the government’s unacceptable and unjust cuts is building momentum and if the public continue to mobilise and maintain pressure on the Government we believe frontline health and education services can be protected.”

Mr Quinlivan insisted that the Government has alternative choices to raise funds.

“They could have raised up to €1 billion by making all discretionary tax relief schemes available only at the standard rate. They could have raised €334million by getting rid of the PRSI ceiling, something supported by Government departments. They could have ended tax breaks for private hospitals. The €10.6 million wasted on this in 2006 could have funded 6,000 medical cards. They could have accessed the National Pension Reserve Fund for key infrastructure projects.”

He added that while it is “in the interests of everyone in the state that public finances are put in order and the economy turns the corner”, “that won’t happen through short-sighted decisions that could have serious consequences long into the future”.

“Instead of adopting a fingers crossed approach the Government needs to bring forward a serious economic strategy that shows how the economy is going to grow this year, next year and into the future. The Government has not only failed in its commitment to deliver reduced class sizes but astonishingly has now chosen to in fact increase them.”

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