The Irish Government is currently weighing up whether to grant a €650 million VAT tax break to the hospitality sector – a sector dominated by multinationals like McDonald’s – rather than addressing the urgent, long-standing crisis facing carers. This decision exposes a deeply flawed set of priorities that risks leaving the most vulnerable in our society further behind.
With a huge budget surplus they must do both as per their election promise in 2024 .
Carers are the backbone of our communities. They support older people, those with disabilities, and loved ones with long-term illnesses, often at enormous personal cost. Many carers work around the clock, without rest, and save the State billions annually by delivering essential care that would otherwise overwhelm our health and social care systems. And yet, despite this contribution, carers continue to be treated as second-class citizens – denied a living wage, subjected to harsh means testing, and left to struggle in poverty.
By contrast, the hospitality sector already benefits from State supports, favourable tax treatment, and a consumer base rebounding strongly since the pandemic. The proposed VAT cut would pour hundreds of millions into the coffers of fast-food giants, multinational hotels, and large-scale restaurant chains – businesses well able to absorb costs without State intervention. Such a measure would do little to improve wages or working conditions for hospitality staff, while depriving the Exchequer of funds desperately needed elsewhere.
The question must be asked: what does this say about our national values? Do we prioritise fast foods over the dignity of carers who provide life-saving support every day? Or do we finally recognise carers for the essential workers they are, ensuring that they receive fair pay, without punitive means tests that punish families for simply existing?
Ireland has a choice. We can continue to prop up multinational balance sheets, or we can invest in the people who hold our communities together. Carers are not asking for luxury, just the basic respect of financial security.
The campaign Don’t Leave Them Behind is clear: this is a moral test for Government. If €650 million can be found for fast-food giants, it can – and must – be found to guarantee carers a living wage. Anything less is a betrayal.