Madam, - In highlighting various statistics that show a decrease in general income taxation during Fianna Fáil's time in Government, Billy Kelleher TD (August 10th) seems to think he has outwitted Liz McManus TD in a debate over Labour's record in Government.
What Mr Kelleher's statistics actually prove is that Fianna Fáil has been very successful at shifting the tax burden from income to consumption, through what have infamously become known as "stealth" taxes.
These taxes, such as VAT, Public Service Obligation Levies, the PRSI ceiling and Accident and Emergency charges, all of which have increased or remained relatively static over the past ten years, affect lower and middle income earners disproportionately, as they remove an absolute portion of income that is not relative to earnings.
Mr Kelleher may also be interested to know that during 2004, the Society of St Vincent de Paul spent more than €600,000 a week alleviating the effects of these taxes, which would appear to be at odds with the economic wonderland his abundant statistics seek to describe. - Yours, etc,
GARRETH McDAID, Drumleague Hill, Leitrim Village, Co Leitrim.