Desperate measures
Could the proposed text tax provide support for health services?
It’s certainly a sign of difficult times when a government considers the need to double tax anyone, but when those most likely to feel the pinch of that tax are the young and the less well off, such a move begins to look a lot like desperation.
The tax on Ireland’s 25 million text messages sent daily was proposed by the Green Party’s Deputy Leader, who claims that a 1 cent tax on mobile phone text messages would net the government €1.4 billion annually, though some have argued the real figure would be closer to €81 million. This is still a staggering amount and would go a long way towards covering the spiralling costs of this beleaguered state.
The Health Minister is certainly considering the proposal as one possible “relief” and Labour’s Joan Burton feels that the tax should be used to support disability services and the cervical cancer vaccination. However, with the budget cuts made against the HSE by the government last October, it might seem to some that political concern for these areas is somewhat overdue.
Cervarix vaccine, which helps protect against cervical cancer, is mainly indicated for girls from 10 years of age upwards and is administered over a 6-month period. There are two different HPV vaccines fully licensed for use in Ireland; Cervarix, amounting to €390 in consultation and vaccination costs with the Tropical Medical Bureau and Gardasil, which will cost a patient €480 by the end of the 6-month period of treatment. Any relief in this area is clearly needed, but what about disability services?
Last October the Department of Education cut the number of special needs classes, which support up to 900 children with learning disabilities. It also stated its intention is to cut 128 teaching posts because the number of children does not meet the minimum requirement of nine pupils per class. Inclusion Ireland insists that bigger class sizes will mean less attention for children with special needs. There were also cuts made that will impact on carers. Inclusion Ireland CEO Deirdre Carroll says “Carers save the public coffers millions every year, it doesn’t make economic sense to cut benefits to carers”. Places in residential services cost the state at least €70,000 a year so keeping careers in place who can work from the clients home is logical to say the least.
Tommy McCabe, director of the Irish Cellular Industry Association deems the tax “unfair and unjust” and it has also been referred to as a “double taxation” in recent days because customers already pay 21.5 per cent vat on all phone calls and text messages.
Annmarie Murray, a part-time worker in her early twenties from Galway, who admits to being an avid ‘texter’, says, “Because there are so many mobile phone users in Ireland it is kind of a fair way to levy the tax equally, across the divide of rich and poor. And if it is used in the areas Joan Burton mentioned the other day, then I won’t mind paying it”.
By: Joseph Cully
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