Madam, - Leo Roche (November 18th) denigrates low-taxation policies, basing his case on the opinions of Dr Garret FitzGerald (Opinion, November 15th)
Dr FitzGerald presided over a Government that raised personal taxes to a level that was economically damaging, demoralising and a disincentive to work. This was because he was so hamstrung by the Labour Party that he was unable or unwilling to address the key issues of spending cuts. He has openly stated in his writings that he had more affinity for the Social Democratic spending habits of Labour than the fiscal rectitude of a Christian Democratic Fine Gael.
My opinion of Dr FitzGerald's view is jaundiced by the fact that he benefits personally from the most ridiculously generous pension arrangements in the Western world. I have never heard him criticise this particular aspect of public spending.
Low tax rates encourage people to work. Low corporate taxes encourage investment and attract overseas investors. The high rates of tax inflicted by Garret FitzGerald crippled this country and drove many of our citizens abroad.
As to his opinion of the Progressive Democrats not practising what they preached, I would point out that they never had more than eight TDs in a Coalition with Fianna Fáil while he had 70 TDs in his government. I deeply regret that public spending was not kept down further during the period of the FF/PD governments of 1997-2007 but the PDs did not control either of those governments.
Low personal and corporate tax rates power an enterprise economy which provides real jobs with real value. Governments of whatever political colour must live within the taxes available from within that economy and must do so by reducing public spending. And yes, I am a Progressive Democrat. - Yours, etc,