John Kierans: Every once in a while, Governments do…

John Kierans: Every once in a while, Governments do very stupid things - and the concrete levy is that

Every once in a while, Governments do very stupid things.

The €11billion giveaway Budget last week was for the most part, a reasonable attempt to help the people through the cost of living crisis with something for everyone in the audience.

Most people I know were happy and felt it was fair and equitable except for one thing – the concrete levy.

Whoever in the corridors of power came up with the concept of penalising ordinary people to pay for the mica-pyrite scandal must have a hole in their head.

In fact I would go even further – they must be totally politically naive and as thick as two short planks.

The scandal of houses crumbling because of inferior blocks and concrete has cost thousands of families on the West coast of Ireland huge stress, sleepless nights, financial turmoil and deep mental strain.

Can you imagine the horror of buying or building a new home and then watching it fall down bit by bit, day by day? And all because these devastating minerals got into the raw building materials used in construction

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said in an interview over the weekend someone has to pay. He was like the headmaster at school demanding all the students pay for a broken window smashed by a handful of bad boys.

He felt the State can’t fork out €4billion to €6billion in compensation to the householders affected without someone picking up the tab.

Well I have news for him. Those who should be paying are the construction companies and the quarries who made the dodgy blocks and concrete in the first place.

The management, directors and shareholders of these firms should also be held accountable both legally and financially.

The idea you tax the consumer

especially first-time buyers with the levy is disgusting and disgraceful.

The levy will add €3,000 to €4,000 to the cost of a house at a time when we have a housing shortage.

We all know the builders will pass it on to the punters, most of whom are already stretched to the limit trying to get the cash together to buy a new house.

This ridiculous tax will bring in €80million a year which is peanuts compared to the

political damage it is going to cost Micheal Martin and his Government.

The Irish people didn’t cause the banking crisis but yet we had to pay for the bankers who did.

The Irish people didn’t cause the insurance crisis but we had to pay an insurance levy for the companies that did.

Now the Government is trying the same trick when it comes to the pyrite/mica scandal and it is wrong, wrong, wrong. I am absolutely convinced some useless mandarin in the civil service has persuaded Martin to do this.

Sinn Fein as usual has its finger on the pulse and is right to table a Dail motion proposing to ditch the concrete levy.

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael backbenchers will be committing political suicide if they vote for this levy.

It is time for them to rally the Taoiseach, the Tanaiste and the Finance Minister to throw this levy where it belongs – in the bin.

The State should be declaring war on those who caused this scandal in the first place and every person involved brought to court.