Mayo Sinn Féin TD says party's alternative budget 'stands up for the people'

Sinn Féin TD for Mayo and Spokesperson for Public Expenditure and Reform, Rose Conway Walsh, says her party’s alternative budget stands up for the people of Mayo.

Sinn Féin launched the party's alternative budget last Thursday in advance of Minister for Finance, Jack Chambers delivering the Government’s 2025 Budget tomorrow.

Deputy Conway-Walsh, who will seek re-election at the next general election, said that the measures taken in the Sinn Féin alternative budget will make a huge difference for the people of Mayo.

“The measures in the Sinn Féin alternative budget launched by Mary Lou McDonald TD, Pearse Doherty TD and myself, amount to wholesale changes for citizens of this state in the here and now, along with building a better more stable future, including actions to plan and prepare for Irish reunification,”said the Erris-based TD.

Sinn Féin held its annual Ard Fhéis in Athlone over the weekend the Deputy Conway-Walsh said that housing and childcare will be among their main priorities.

“Housing is our number one priority and the measures in our budget would mean the construction of thousands more social and affordable homes.

“Our childcare proposals will deliver childcare at €10 a day per child and we would also invest into childcare providers. This would be a game-changer for families.
“Our flagship tax proposal is to abolish the USC on the first 45,000 earned by every worker. This is a cost-of-living measure which we would deliver over a term of government. Starting in year one with a big first step of removing USC on the first 30,000 earned.

“Our offering on health includes greater capacity in our hospitals and greater access to primary care among many other measures to ensure that people who need healthcare can get it, regardless of their ability to pay for it,” she said.

Deputy Conway-Walsh said that they would progress the Western Rail Corridor, including an engineering and track survey of the rail line from Claremorris to Collooney.

She added that they also propose the ‘biggest ever single investment’ to support Carers, pledging €100 million which she says would enable them to increase the rate of payment for Carers Allowance by €12 per week and also raise the eligibility thresholds to €730 for a single person and €1460 for a couple.

“We would also introduce a Pay Related Carer’s Benefit to enable carers who are also in employment to access supports.

“Our alternative budget would provide access to vital therapies, respite services, residential care, personal assistance services, home support hours and day services.

“Importantly for rural people in Mayo, we would reverse the government’s August excise duty increase for petrol and diesel and we would invest heavily in the road network, including rural roads.

“This budget rightly raises expectations, our citizens deserve to live with opportunity and the possibility of a happy, safe, secure and healthy life.

“People are really struggling after 13 years of Fine Gael austerity which has hollowed out communities and left many people at breaking point.

“We offer a budget that does more,” she concluded.