McHugh's Miscellany: The annual ‘Robbing Peter to pay Paul’ Awards

It is abundantly clear that certain cohorts of citizens get to pay for the benefits of others

The annual ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ Show that conjures itself up every year under the guise of ‘the Budget’, appears to be getting more complicated, but remaining complacent in its vision.

It is abundantly clear that certain cohorts of citizens get to pay for the benefits of others.

It may not be as simple as robbing the poor to pay the rich, but there is definitely an element to it.

If anything, a greater proportion of ‘poor’ has been extended to include classes of workers and families that in the past, may have been deemed to be ‘relatively ok’, in terms of their weekly or monthly wage packet.

It is the daily David and Goliath battle that never ceases. But in this case, the winner never turns out to be David.

Not everybody in Irish society aspires to be rich, but the optics of regular people in regular jobs trying to stretch that euro as opposed to corporate bodies still piling on the profits, is a hard pill to swallow for most.

I thought that former MEP and now Sligo Leitrim TD Marian Harkin summed it up well when she suggested that the number of one-off payments in the budget is an indication of a failure to institute real and lasting change.

“They are like lights on the Christmas tree, when you switch them off you are back to the darkness,” she said.

By the way, just in case you are wondering why I have not added the addendum of south Donegal to her constituency area, it is simply because that is the name of the constituency, as baptised.

To be sure, the appearance of an addendum to include “parts of south Donegal” would be an embarrassment to the likes of the Electoral Commission et al who adjudicate with an even hand “where possible”.

And like many things, backed up by multiple fiscal and socio-economic reports, Donegal is always tagged with being the exception, rather than the rule.

But back to the budget.

Admittedly, we have been through a lot in recent years and trying to round the circle and keep everyone happy will simply never work, when you have basic inequalities in the distribution and control of wealth in this country.

I wonder how many more people will give up cigarettes because an additional 70 cent has been added to the price of 20, as opposed to just coughing up the extra cash (not just literally speaking) and sacrificing their food and nutritional budget instead.

Will plans on introducing a tax on e-cigarettes and vaping products in next year's Budget stop students who never smoked a cigarette in their lives, from continuing their vaping habits because of that hike, notwithstanding the age limits and selling of such products.

ONE HAND SAID VAT INCREASES ON FUEL WOULD BE KICKED DOWN THE ROAD ONLY FOR US TO HEAR ABOUT A CARBON TAX INCREASE FROM MIDNIGHT OF THE BUDGET

I am not going to dissect tax bands or the like but rather see this in broader brush strokes.

Social Justice Ireland is an independent social justice think tank.

I cannot say that I know much about them but Colette Bennett, its Economic and Social Analyst, made an interesting observation:

“The Budget has provided least for the large cohort of lower income workers; those earning around €15 to €20 per hour (€30,000 to €40,000 per annum).

“Year after year this large group of workers hears of ‘gains’ from the Budget but experiences little if any of them; something that cannot persist both due to its distributive effects and the socio-political reality that we cannot keep ignoring these workers and families.”

She also pointed out that between 2012 and 2022, residential property prices rose by 75 per cent, private rents by 90 per cent, while wages rose by just 27 per cent.

The future of this country, economically, politically and socially will largely depend on moving away from spin, sentimentality and sanctimoniousness and more towards transparency, truth and accountability.

A win against the All Blacks on Sunday would certainly help . . .