Sir, – President Michel D Higgins asks, "Is it possible to have a decent society and at the same time continue to lower taxes for the purpose of securing the best short-term benefit?" ("President questions election campaign emphasis on tax", Front Page, February 2nd).
The answer, of course, is no, if the definition of a decent society assumes acceptable class sizes, a functioning health service available to all regardless of means and an end to homelessness, to take three examples of where we lag behind more progressive European neighbours.
Aside from social policies and related issues, it seems likely that lower taxes at this stage of the economic cycle may be ill-timed from an economic perspective, given the need for prudent fiscal policies generally in terms of avoiding overheating of the domestic economy, together with the need to maintain a buffer against future unexpected crises, and the fact that the economy has performed outstandingly well, despite the alleged burden of current tax rates. Is the stimulus of tax cuts necessary or desirable at this point?
The results of cutbacks in health and education are well publicised and understood. Tax cuts at this point will inevitably impact on our ability to remedy some of the inadequacies in our public services, which were exacerbated during the apparently essential period of austerity from which we are now emerging.
If the intention is to continue allowing people to suffer and in some cases to die, and to deny remedial teaching to children who need it, not to mention the scandal of destroyed lives from homelessness, then let us be straight about it. People, including children, are to be sacrificed on the altar of lower taxes.
Can this really be justified? – Yours, etc,
LEO ROCHE,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – The President made comments that he was careful to present in a way that was not party political. Political, in the broad sense, they certainly were, in that the ways the different parties deal with the distribution of wealth should come from their different understanding of what is in the best interests of the members of the community we call Ireland. It is then up to us, the electorate, to choose accordingly.
The point the President was making was that these decisions are ethical in nature. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK DAVEY,
Shankill,
Dublin 18.