Meath Sinn Féin - Building an Ireland of Equals - Fastest Growing Political Party in Meath

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and party colleague Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín met with pensioners formerly employed by Tara Mines at Leinster House on September 14th. The meeting was arranged during a picket organised by pensioners in opposition to the Fine Gael and Labour’s imposition of the Pension Levy on their pensions. The government levy will reduce the income of each pensioner on the scheme by 10%.

According to Deputy Tóibín who has been a supporter of the campaign from the outset ‘these pensioners, who on average have an annual income of €10,000, will lose a shocking €1,000. This is over a month’s income for these individuals. This money is being taken out of the pockets of pensioners to be used on a supposed jobs initiative that has actually seen 20,000 extra people lose their jobs.  At the same time this government is putting tens of billions of tax payer’s money into the pockets of untouchable private bond holders’.

‘The loss of €1,000 to a family on a wage of €10,000 is a devastating blow. Minister Noonan must meet with the former miners and reverse this financial attack on their living standards. The Fine Gael and Labour TDs in Meath who voted for this measure need to take serious stock as to why they are in the Dáil. Are they there to work on behalf of Meath people struggling to make ends meet or are they purely back bench vote fodder for a government intent slashing living standards for the sake of private investment firms in Germany and France’.