A Waterford TD says the Budget fails to ease the pressure on workers and families.
Sinn Féin's public expenditure and reform spokesperson David Cullinane says both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have favoured bankers and developers and not ordinary people.
Reacting to Paschal Donohue's 2020 Budget in the Dáil, Deputy Cullinane said it does nothing for hard working families who sometimes can't afford to go to the doctor:
"We in Sinn Féin put ahead many, many alternatives in our budget. You could have done lots of things. We called for two free GP visits to every person in the state without a medical card or a GP card. That's to give those families a break, to reduce the cost of their healthcare, to make sure they can afford to go to a doctor.
"We all know many, many people who put off going to a GP because of the cost. This would have a difference to those families but you chose not to because you don't represent them."
He also said the Budget doesn't address the difficulties being faced by those in the rental market:
"We called for an emergency rent freeze to provide a tax relief to renters equal to one month of their rental costs. Again you've done nothing, nothing that tackles the high price of rents. They're just left paying these rents year on year. Nothing in terms of affordable housing of any significance, nothing for those people who need social authority housing."
