The Progressive Democrats leader has promised a further programme of tax reforms over the next two Budgets. Speaking at her party conference in Cork tonight, Mary Harney said that cuts in the top rate of tax, as well as increases in tax bands, would take 80% of earners off the higher rate. She added that she wanted to commit the party to the elimination of child poverty in Ireland and to see child benefit rise to £100 a month per child.
The Tánaiste assured pensioners that the £100 a week target set in 1997 will be exceeded in next month's Budget. Ms Harney said that competition should be promoted - not just in public transport, but right across the Irish economy, She said that her party would continue to fight for this within Government. Ms Harney earlier launched a major attack on Labour's economic proposals. She described them as the type of policies which had taken the country to near bankruptcy. She was speaking to journalists at her party's conference in Cork.
The conference was told by Des O'Malley that privatisation should be extended immediately to several public services. These include airports, buses, power generation and to the small banks still owned by the State. He said that Aer Lingus and Ryanair now compete in the air and should be allowed compete at airports, by having their own terminals. On buses, he said that every bus route on a quality bus corridor should be privatised so that the full capacity of these lanes is used.
He urged that much more of the market be opened to private power generating companies. Deputy O'Malley said that the ICC, ACC and TSB banks should be sold immediately, along with the Great Southern Hotels. With such a poor service and high costs, he asked why CIE was being retained in State ownership.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Liz O'Donnell, told the conference this afternoon that Sinn Féin in government had to disconnect from the IRA. She said that the peace process in the North had to be protected. It could be undermined not just by anti-agreement Unionists and dissident Republicans, but by unreasonable demands from pro-agreement parties.
The Minister said that we must not advocate for the North, a position we would not accept ourselves. She also paid tribute to the leaders of Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the UUP, for becoming what she called partners in peace-making. The Minister also said that the present government may even be remembered as a great government, but it was not the PD way to be complacent. She said that the party was almost genetically dissatisfied with the way things are.
Mary Harney earlier held out the olive branch to Attorney-General Michael McDowell. She said while she had not been able to reach an agreement with him - he had put forward many good ideas and it would be unfair to dismiss them all. The PD leader said that she still hopes Mr McDowell will reconsider his position and see that his future in politics lies with the PDs.
She added that Ireland and the PDs need people like the Attorney-General. Yesterday, the former party leader Des O'Malley also paid tribute to Mr McDowell and to some of his proposals. He added that contact was being maintained with their former TD, who lost his seat in Dublin South East at the last election. But the party's national executive has firmly rejected his bid to rename the party as the Radical Party - and to make him president, in charge of drafting the manifesto for the next general election. It is understood they were willing to make him president - but not to effectively hand over leadership to him.
