The Government has been accused by a leading trade unionist of economic incompetence and of pursuing policies that "time and again showed bias in favour of the better-off".
Addressing 300 delegates at SIPTU's midlands and south-east regional conference in Waterford yesterday, the regional secretary, Mr Mike Jennings, said that in 1997 the coalition had inherited a strong, prosperous economy with excellent prospects. "Now all the talk is of doom and gloom, so where has our strong, prosperous economy gone," he asked.
"In my view, the downturn has come about as a result of incompetence and the adoption of policies which time and again showed a bias in favour of rich people at the expense of building a more equal, sharing society.
"There is a deep anger in the trade union movement at the fact that it is now obvious that this Government systematically destroyed much of our economy to buy the last election," Mr Jennings said.
He asked why, after what he termed "years of boom", the Government denied medical cards to couples earning less than €200 per week.
He also questioned why so many schools were "rat-infested and leaking"; why owning a house was now more difficult than ever before; and why there was no "decent" public transport network.
"It is typical of Charlie McCreevy and this Government that they have decided to 'correct the national finances' by attacking the needy and the vulnerable," Mr Jennings said. "McCreevy has decided to abolish the first-time house-buyers' grant, thus making it even more difficult for people to get ownership of even the smallest home."
Mr Jennings suggested a temporary levy of between 1 and 2 per cent on all incomes over €100,000, with a temporary surcharge on what he described as "excessive profits".