There was little surprise in the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan’s comments today that the “temporary” Universal Social Charge (USC) is here to stay.
The USC was introduced by late Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, supposedly as an interim measure, at the height of the economic crisis.
The charge now rakes in over €4.5bn a year, so it is here to stay, according to Mr. Noonan.
He added that although the USC was meant to be temporary, it has now become a handy tool to get money from those on lower incomes.