Sir, - As a dual-income family, we are destined to gain substantially from the tax changes proposed by Mr McCreevy. However, we wish to register our total opposition to this so-called "individualisation" as we view it as an anti-marriage and anti-family proposal.
Many of our relations , friends and workmates are members of single-income families, where one spouse works in the home. The work carried out by the home spouse is no less difficult and perhaps significantly more worthy thanthat outside the home. Under the McCreevy proposals, the single-income family allowance in two years' time is to be £28,000, while ours is to be twice that, despite the fact that we also have access to a second income. This is clearly unjust, immoral and discriminatory.
The individualisation proposal also severely restricts the choices available to dual-income families. If, in the future, we were to decide that one spouse should work in the family home, we would face the stark reality of not only losing the spouse's income , but incredibly also losing the spouse's allowances. This patently does not constitute a reasonable choice.
There will also be circumstances, for example through illness or accident, where double-income families will be forced to become single-income families. The double loss of income and allowances could be unbearable in such circumstances.
The present system of full transferability between spouses is equitable, works well and is of critical importance to all families in terms of choice and changes in family circumstances. It is also consistent with the principle of the family as the core unit of society and with the pooling of resources by spouses.
The Fianna Fail party has a long and noble tradition of supporting and nurturing the family. We are astonished that a Fianna Fail Minister is now introducing a principle that will fundamentally damage all families.
We believe that the vast majority of Fianna Fail supporters and voters vehemently oppose individualisation! - Yours, etc.,
Mary and Sean O'Leary, Abbeyview, Kinsale, Co Cork