Sinn Féin promises mini-budget to abolish USC within 100 days of being in Government
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Sinn Féin has pledged to introduce a mini-budget within the first 100 days of Government to abolish Universal Social Charge (USC) for anyone earning €45,000 or less.
Leader Mary Lou McDonald made the call at the party’s launch of its 71 general election candidates in Dublin, describing it as a “fair and appropriate response”.
Sinn Féin has said the plan would benefit up to two million people, but that the measure itself would cost in the region of €1.8bn a year. The party added that it will give back an estimated €1,100 to people each year.
“Our tax package, at the heart of it is this measure designed to give relief to every single worker on the first €45,000 of their income but particularly for middle- and lower-income workers, this is a real win for them,” Ms McDonald said.
She said the median income is around €43,000 and that this means that people going out to work aren't on “huge runaway wages”.
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“They are really, really struggling still just to make ends meet week on week and month on month.”
The Sinn Féin leader highlighted promises made by other political parties on the USC, referencing Fine Gael’s pledge to totally abolish the tax in the 2016 election campaign.
“The distinction is that we’re making this promise, we’re making this commitment and further that it will come into play within the first 100 days of Government.”
Asked how the party would make up for the €1.8bn shortfall that arises through abolishing the tax on the first €45,000, Ms McDonald said her party would look at tax rises for those earning more than €140,000.
“Our message today is to workers, average-, low- and middle-income people, that Sinn Féin is proposing a significant tax cut for you and it’s long overdue. It’s well earned and desperately needed by all of those working families.”
She was also asked if she would visit the Trump White House if elected Taoiseach. She said she would, describing the relationship with the US as a “very important one”.
“Whoever is Taoiseach I believe should and will go to the White House on St Patrick’s Day because the first order of business on that occasion is Ireland. Peace in Ireland, the reunification of Ireland for us.
“On those occasions, areas where there is disagreement also there’s an opportunity to raise those.”
Asked about criminal Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch confirming that he would run in the general election, Ms McDonald declined to directly criticise him and urged voters to back her and her running mate Janice Boylan.
“This is an election campaign. My only focus and my only concern is for my campaign, for Janice’s campaign, for the Sinn Féin campaign,” Ms McDonald said.
Pressed if she was reluctant to criticise Mr Hutch, Ms McDonald reiterated that her campaign was her only concern.