BREE SLAMS CUTS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET

IT IS very clear from the draft budget before us this evening that there will be significant cutbacks in a number of areas and these cutbacks will create serious problems for the Council and for the people of this community during the course of the next year, Cllr Declan Bree told the Budget meeting of Sligo Borough Council

"The new government of Fine Gael and Labour is now imposing the same type of cuts as the outgoing crowd.

"I have to say that I find it unacceptable that the Government can cut back on local government services and on health services; that they can cut the pay to ordinary working people, that they can cut the fuel allowance for the elderly; cut disability payments; cut child benefits for large families; cut back the school clothing and footwear allowance; cut back community employment schemes and cuts rent supplements while at the very same time they can provide billions to bail out the bankers and the speculators, the very people who have caused the economic crisis.

"The government would have us believe that the ordinary people of this country caused the economic crisis so as to justify their savage cut backs.   I believe that this lie must be rejected.

"It is also clear from the draft budget that the new Household Charge will not result in any additional funds for local authorities as it is set to replace a similar amount that was formerly paid to local councils by the exchequer.

"The Government has been trying to con people into believing that the Household Tax is to be used to supplement the funding to local authorities to improve local services.   But that is a lie.   
"There will be no additional funding for local authorities.  The Household Tax is not about paying for public services.  It is about paying off the debts of rogue developers, bankers and speculators.    

"The tax is part and parcel of the government and EU/IMF diet of cutbacks and austerity that has seen a slashing of our living standards and has only helped deepen the economic crisis.

"The Government expects every household to register for the tax so the most effective way to defeat this now poll tax is by refusing to register and by refusing to pay.   Why should we have to pay the private debts of speculators, developers and bankers." said Cllr Bree.                

Cllr Bree then proposed the following motion “Alarmed that the Local Government Fund General Purpose grant for Sligo Borough Council has been reduced by 8.98%, and further recognising that the Government is spending billions of Euro bailing out banks and developers, this Council calls on the Government and the Minister for the Environment to provide the necessary funding for this Borough Council to carry out its statutory duties.”  The motion was seconded by Cllr Arthur Gibbons and adopted.