Gerry Adams has been accused of 'not telling the truth' on his party's tax proposals following a radio interview earlier today.
The criticism comes following the Sinn Féin's leader's interview with RTÉ's Sean O'Rourke this morning.
"I'm not confused" - Gerry Adams and RTÉ’S Sean O’Rourke thrash out Sinn Féin’s taxation policy #GE16 #todaysorhttps://t.co/4C9jMRH4FW
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 18, 2016
The presenter questioned Mr Adams at length over the party's plans for additional tax on people earning more than €100,000, with Mr O'Rourke calling out Mr Adams over an apparent suggestion that every euro earned above €100,000 would only be taxed at 7c in the euro.
Mr Adams suggested, "that is the case that has been carefully worked out with us because we want to be fair in all of this - but we also want to use the tax money to provide public services and I go back to the point I was making about the decency of people".
The Sinn Féin leader also said additional taxes would apply to people earning more than €100,000, and "would be around 59 [%] in the full accumulation depending how much they spend".
Questioned further by the host about seemingly "suggesting two different things", Mr Adams claimed "you’re the one that’s confused. I’m not the least bit confused.” Mr O'Rourke pointed out that it was listeners that might have been confused following the back-and-forth.
Newstalk's Political Editor Shane Coleman said, "the interview and, in particular Gerry Adams' uncertainty and discomfort when repeatedly pressed about Sinn Féin's plan to raise the marginal tax rate for those earning over €100,000, once again raises questions about Mr Adams's grasp of economics, budgetary matters and policy detail".
Fianna Fáil's Public Expenditure and Reform spokesperson Sean Fleming has accused Gerry Adams' of 'not telling the truth', saying the comments were 'utterly disingenuous'.
Mr Fleming said, “workers earning more than €33,800 who make a pension contribution would see their take home pay reduced as a result of Sinn Féin’s proposals".
He also suggests that a single person earning €40,000 and making a pension contribution of 6% would lose €480 under Sinn Féin's proposal, and a person earning €50,000 paying a 10% pension contribution would be around €1,000 worse off.
“While Sinn Féin want people to think that it is only high earners who will lose out under their proposals the reality is that tens of thousands of ordinary workers will be worse off," Mr Fleming added.
