Household Tax, Septic Tank Charge, Mass unemployment, Forced Emigration: Ill live with that, says Wexford Labour Councillor!!!

A Wexford Town Labour Party Councillor has managed to inadvertently insult a large majority of his voters during a misjudged tirade on a social networking site. Cllr Joe Ryan said that mass unemployment, the trolley crisis at Wexford General Hospital and forced emigration were a “fact under the last government” and said that the septic tank charge was only €5, which he could “live with.”

Cllr Ryan also implied that all socialists should be in favour of the unjust household tax and that the law would not allow for any prosecutions of those who did not pay the draconian charge. When a constituent asked Cllr Ryan to stake his council seat and reputation that neighbours of his who cannot afford to pay the charge will be free of prosecution, the Labour man failed to reply.

Cllr Joe Ryan has made good use of the internet over the years with an active presence on Facebook, Twitter and a well managed blog. Up until his party went into government, Cllr Ryan had used this online presence to attack unfair government cuts and taxes. Now he uses them to defend his own party’s endorsement of the very same cuts and taxes. He has also spent the last year blaming any criticism that comes his way on the previous government. In five years time, when the Fine Gael and Labour government have completely failed in its duty to lead this country out of crisis, will Cllr Ryan still blame Fianna Fail for everything?

Cllr Ryan, who once condemned Fianna Fail for introducing cuts to local rural transport and campaigned against the early austerity budgets, is now condoning charges that many people simply cannot afford to pay. It’s no surprise that Cllr Ryan voted in favour of the implementation of the Household Tax at a recent meeting of Wexford Borough Council, where he famously stated that people had no problem paying for SKY TV but weren’t prepared to pay their taxes. Surely it’s not acceptable for a representative of the people to imply that they are tax shy and affluent when it’s clear to all that they are suffering under this most severe of recessions?

How quickly a campaigning socialist can turn into the biggest critic of the working class, particularly when the local elections are still two years off. Don’t worry Joe; we won’t let your constituents forget your thoughts about them when they needed you most. Who knows, maybe you’ll be needing them and their votes in 2014.

To say that the Septic Tank Charge is only €5, 90% subsidised and something that he can “live with” is not only entirely out of touch with the concerns of County Wexford people, especially those living in rural areas, but is also simply untrue. The registration fee for the septic tank charge is temporarily set at €5. There have been no details of grants or government help available for those who will need to upgrade their tank yet so exactly what Cllr Ryan is referring to as being 90% subsidised is unclear. To say that it is something that he can “live with” is the greatest insult of all.

Maybe you can Councillor, but a great many of your constituents can not.