Voters reject more taxes to fund services

A substantial majority of voters are not prepared to pay more taxes to fund public services, but they believe the Government …

A substantial majority of voters are not prepared to pay more taxes to fund public services, but they believe the Government already has enough money to fund those services, according to the Irish Times/TNS mrbi opinion poll. Stephen Collins, Political Editor, reports.

Asked if they would be prepared to pay more taxes to fund public services, 72 per cent said no, while 23 per cent said yes.

The hostility to paying more taxes was equal among supporters of all political parties, with the exception of Labour, where significantly more people said they would be prepared to pay more.

The response from Labour supporters was quite different to the rest, with 60 per cent opposed to higher taxes but 35 per cent saying they would be willing to pay more to fund public services.

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There is some variation across the different regions, with people in Dublin more likely to support the notion of paying more taxes and those in Connacht-Ulster the least likely.

Across age groups the youngest voters were most hostile to the notion of paying more taxes to fund services, with just 17 per cent in favour, while most support for the prospect was expressed by those in the 50-64 age group.

Men were more likely to say yes than women, as were better-off ABC1 voters, by comparison with less well-off C2DE voters or farmers.

Asked whether they felt the Government had enough money from existing taxes if it was spent effectively, or whether increased taxes were required to fund desirable services, a similar pattern emerged.

A total of 83 per cent said the Government already had enough money, while only 12 per cent agreed that increased taxation was required.

Again Labour Party voters were most likely to accept the need for extra taxes with 19 per cent of them in that category as compared to 17 per cent among Green voters, 12 per cent for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, 8 per cent among Sinn Féin voters and 6 per cent among PD supporters.

The poll was carried out last Tuesday and Wednesday among a national quota sample of 1,000 voters aged 18 and upwards in face-to-face in-home interviews at 100 sampling points in all 43 constituencies.