Madam, - It is a stated policy of the Green Party to introduce the novel concept of "fairness and prosperity" in Irish taxation. Therefore I am surprised to see that in the new CO2 emissions-based system, and in the newly revised conventional system of motor taxation, the principle of penalising the less well off remains in place.
I refer of course to the poor individuals who can not afford to pay road tax in one annual advance payment, and instead must limp through the year with either quarterly or half-yearly renewal intervals. It is incredible that the system discriminates against the less well off by charging what is effectively a penalty rate for three- monthly or six-monthly renewals.
While this type of unreasonable and unfair taxation technique is only to be expected from Fianna Fáil and their ilk, I would have expected a lot more from the Green Party in Government with their new-found influence over the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Of course, I welcome the changes in their recognition of the good that people do when they buy an environmentally friendly motor vehicle.
I think, however, that they have missed an opportunity to make the needy in this society feel less trampled upon by the powers that be by failing to address the unfair pro-rata rates applied to those in society who cannot always afford to pay for the whole year in advance.
I urge Mr Gormley to consider reviewing this system to help implement the Green Party policy of Fairness and Prosperity in taxation as this certainly is not a good example of it.
With the recent revelation by the Small Firms' Association that people on the minimum wage in this country should bear the brunt of the cutbacks by taking a pay cut, and with essentials such as electricity and road fuels rising constantly, every little helps as they say and fairness in motor taxation is only to be expected, one would imagine. - Yours, etc,
DAVID SMYTH, Ballinlough, Kells, Co Meath.