Fine Gael will abolish Universal Social Charge if re-elected – Minister Coffey

Fine Gael Waterford Minister Paudie Coffey has said that if Fine Gael are re-elected to government next Spring, the party will abolish the Universal Social Charge.  Fine Gael before the last general election gave a commitment to review the USC and not increase income taxes.  Since then we have cut income taxes; removed 700,000 people from paying the USC and cut the USC for every worker that earns up to €70,000.

“The implementation of Fine Gael’s policies over the last number of years has allowed us to go further than we imagined possible when we were elected to government at the start of 2011.  We are now creating 1,300 jobs per week and this is allowing us to reduce taxes on work which will encourage more people to join the work-force over the coming period.

“Our aim is to have full-employment in Ireland again by 2018 and this will allow Fine Gael in office to abolish the USC by 2021 if we are re-elected to govern early next year.  This is in contrast to Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein both of whom want to retain the USC and continue to impose a huge tax burden on work.

“It is no surprise that Fianna Fail want to retain the tax that they introduced on every household in the Country nor is it surprising that Sinn Fein want to retain the USC, as they are a high tax party.

“We have come through the worst of the economic crisis and we are now the fastest growing economy in Europe; we must continue with pro-employment policies and the abolition of the USC in a managed way will lead to more jobs being created across the board in the Irish Economy.

“Both Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail are anti-business and anti-jobs.  Neither of these parties can be trusted to run the economy.  We must have a stable economic environment to ensure that essential services can be delivered in a managed and controlled way.”