Ruairi Quinn, Labour party leader
The Minister for Finance has been criticised by Opposition parties for his comments about how much workers will benefit from the tax changes in the last budget. Charlie McCreevy re-affirmed his commitment to continue with his proposals to individualise the income tax bands. He defended his policies and criticised his critics as left-wing pinkos. The Fine Gael spokesman, Michael Noonan, said Mr McCreevy's comments were more appropriate to the Owner's bar at Cheltenham. While, the Labour leader, Ruairi Quinn, of embarking on a crusade to copper-fasten the politics of personal greed and social division in the country.
Commenting on Mr Mc Creevy's remarks on the tax changes, Mr Quinn said they represented an attempt to undermine the solidarity expressed by one citizen for another through the vehicle of taxation. The Labour leader said it was no small irony that the Finance minister began puffing out his chest on Morning Ireland, minutes after a woman told how she had to bring a son with disability from Waterford to Dublin, because there were no services available locally.
