Fine Gael slam ‘anti-business’ budget

Fine Gael Councillors voted against the Westmeath County Council budget which was decided yesterday.

Cllr Andrew Duncan, Cllr Emily Wallace, Cllr Frank McDermott, Cllr John Dolan and Group Leader Cllr Tom Farrell were joined by Deputy Peter Burke in slamming the budget as regressive in the extreme.

They say this budget highlights the lack of foresight and experience being displayed by the newly created Fianna Fáil Green alliance and puts forward an extremely anti-business agenda.

Cllr Farrell said in a statement issued yesterday: “The current Fianna Fáil Green coalition who have control of the council have shown that they are anti-business and have moved immediately as their first policy decision to cut current housing adaptation grants by 26%. The budget for this programme is already very modest, as any councillor who has helped an older person try and get their house adapted to suit their changing needs will know. This will undoubtedly direct more people in this county to Nursing Homes.

Cllr Andrew Duncan, who runs his business from Dominick Street in Mullingar, and Cllr Emily Wallace are furious at the rates increases. Cllr Wallace stated: “Any councillor who canvassed businesses at the recent local elections knows the current state of play of our rate-payers in this county, especially in Mullingar after the disruption of the roadworks. This budget is anti-business, anti-jobs and sells our high street traders down the river after a difficult year of traffic, road works and disruption. Instead of letting our business take a breath and restore trading, Councillors in power have vowed to increase their rates immediately.

“Furthermore, the rebate scheme is an absolute farce. The reason... it’s not fully funded! If every business claimed this so-called rebate scheme, the total would amount to approximately €438,000. However, Fianna Fáil and the Greens don’t seem to care that there is only €282,000 in the budget for this purpose. They have not consulted with the Chambers of Commerce or indeed don’t seem to have talked to any traders in our town. I want them to answer questions on this calculation and explain how 100% of our businesses will claim from a fund which is at 65% capacity.

Cllr Wallace: “While we have had a significant increase in rates forced on our traders, Fianna Fáil and the Greens have not opted to introduce even one more free day of parking in Mullingar. Surely with such a hike in rates we could have added at least two more free parking days, which have proven to increase footfall in our towns. This easy step and vote of confidence for our traders which I proposed has been shot down and refused. It is clear that this budget is all stick is, with no trace of any carrot.”

Cllr John Dolan, who sat in the cathaoirleach’s seat before the new council came in, stated that the budget has been “built on house of cards”.

“I have trawled through this document and there is no trace of any provision for ESB or Irish Water should the valuation office give a negative decision. There is over €400,000 for the NPPR as the legislation ends in 2025 hence people may challenge it. If any of these possible events were to occur, we have no buffer or no insurance policy. This is in the year when the Fleadh is coming to Mullingar and we could be faced with massive deficits when the time comes. I want to know have these risks been assessed by the council.

“The Fine Gael group condemn recent qualification and excuses in relation to the fleadh as a reason for the increases in rates. They highlight that businesses are already making very generous contributions to the fleadh through donations and fundraisers and to dress up a rates hike as a fleadh contribution is fundamentally unjust.”

Cllr Frank McDermott condemned the budget: “We in Fine Gael gave this council a clear choice that would have brought in nearly €1 million with certainty. It would have funded our regeneration projects with key priming finance and supported all infrastructure, including our many roads in need of repair, as well as provided further funding for the fleadh. We negotiated fair budgets over the last five years and I am shocked at these unjust cuts and tax hikes. This Fianna Fáil Green coalition will set this council back years, put traders out of business and I am fearful that is a signal of things to come.”

Deputy Burke added his voice to their criticism: “I am shocked that the Fianna Fáil Green coalition has voted, as their first major decision in office, to increase rates and cut our housing grants. I would think especially the Mullingar based councillors would realise the full impact of the blow our traders took during the regeneration works in town. I am extremely concerned that if this is the first move of this newly created Green and Fianna Fáil coalition, what else is in store over the next four and a half years.”