CORK county councillors have written to the Finance Minister asking him to scrap the USC charge in the upcoming Budget.

The majority of public representatives supported a motion brought by Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire) at Monday’s full council meeting.

Cllr Collins called for the Universal Social Charge to be abolished and it was agreed that the local authority would write to Finance Minister Jack Chambers requesting this.

However Social Democrat Cllr Ann Bambury disagreed with the wording of the motion and asked how the billions of euros of public money generated by the tax would be sourced elsewhere.

Cllr Collins said: ‘The USC was introduced in 2011. This budget was intended to be a temporary austerity measure during a financial crisis. I believe scrapping the USC would offer financial relief to the squeezed middle who are suffering with the cost of living crisis.

‘This is going on for too long. People have well overpaid their dues. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been promising since 2016 to get rid of this charge. Ten years down the road and nothing is happening. False promises.’

Cobh area Cllr Ger Curley (Ind Ire) seconded the motion for the levy – 8% on income over €70,000 per annum and 4% on yearly income over €44,000 – to be done away with.

Cllr Daniel Sexton (Ind Ire) said he would also like to see the charge abolished and said a government commitment to phase it out over five years was not enough.

‘This is one that could be done straight away,’ he argued. ‘We’re hearing every second day that this country is awash with money. Let’s put that into practise so.’

Fermoy area Cllr Willie O’Leary (Ind) agreed and described the USC as ‘the second most hated tax of our time behind the household charge’.

But Cllr Ann Bambury (SD) warned against cutting a charge that generates a significant amount of revenue to boost the public purse.

‘I support the thrust of the motion but it’s difficult to propose the current wording when an alternative revenue source is not identified,’ she said. ‘The revenue generated is €45bn annually for the Exchequer which is a substantial source of funding.

‘The loss of revenue would decrease the government’s ability to provide public services…’

Cllr Danny Collins countered describing her stance as ‘typical Social Democrat policy having no regard on the working people. This would put more money into the pockets of people who would go out  and spend. Buy a cup of coffee or whatever, keeping local businesses going.

‘People are struggling and they need money back in their pockets.’

It was agreed to write to Minister Chambers and request that the USC be abolished.