Budget 2013.

[nigel-harps1954]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/3443_501821833172089_917331972_n.jpg




That is all.

[pineapple stu]

Given how utterly screwed the country is, that was a fairly tame budget.

Bit worrying imo.

[Charlie Darwin]

He's tinkering while the entire edifice is falling down. Cutting jobseeker's by three months to save €30 million while child benefit goes untaxed for those who can afford it. Can't wait for next year.

[Lim till i die]

http://ansionnachfionn.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/the-workers-party-brought-to-you-in-assocaition-with-our-overseas-friends.jpg

http://irishelectionliterature.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/gilmore92leaf1.jpg?w=350&h=508

http://electionleaflets.mygov.ie/image.php?s=m&i=3712e7985bd6f4d107841c7b8812610a



Pity The Nation.

[dahamsta]

Rabbitte disappointed, Gilmore enraged. The man has destroyed the party with the new-labour bullshot.

[SkStu]

http://thewackydeli.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/changwecanbelievein.jpg

[BonnieShels]

Rabbitte disappointed, Gilmore enraged. The man has destroyed the party with the new-labour bullshot.

The man is a cret of the finest order. Absolutely disgusting politician.

Always has been.

[BonnieShels]

Given how utterly screwed the country is, that was a fairly tame budget.

Bit worrying imo.

This was precisely my thoughts of it. The headlines on the day after looked like built up rage and that the papers were preparing for worse.

[BonnieShels]

Colm Keaveney jumps ship. What a contemptuous [insert whatever ya feel here].

I really do hate Labour.

[peadar1987]

Me too, only problem is I hate all the rest of them more.

One thing that worries me about the reaction to the budget is that Irish people being who they are, they'll blame the government for its enforced cutbacks, and vote back in the people responsible for the mess in the first place. Seriously worried about a Fianna Fáil rebound in the next election.

[Dodge]

I really do hate Labour.

To the point when they can do no right it seems.

He'll say he tried to change the party view, and when he couldn't he left. I don't see a problem with that tbh

[BonnieShels]

To the point when they can do no right it seems.

He'll say he tried to change the party view, and when he couldn't he left. I don't see a problem with that tbh

But it's a bogus stance that he's portraying. The idea that he wrestled with his conscience up to the eleventh hour is laughable.

And you're right, Labour can do no right. They talked such bull during the last election campaign with that odious leader of theirs and now the chickens are coming home to roost. Long may it continue.
Also FG were mental to go into government with such a flakey shower. Let us not forget '94.

[BonnieShels]

Me too, only problem is I hate all the rest of them more.

One thing that worries me about the reaction to the budget is that Irish people being who they are, they'll blame the government for its enforced cutbacks, and vote back in the people responsible for the mess in the first place. Seriously worried about a Fianna Fáil rebound in the next election.

I'm petrified. THough I think we'll see somewhat of a recovery by then. FG/Lab are better off enduring the pain now in order to have a positive spin near election time.

[pineapple stu]

THough I think we'll see somewhat of a recovery by then.
What's going to lead to a recovery though? Cutting E3.5bn out of the economy? Having to cut another E10bn out of it? A Government - indeed, a whole political ruling class - which doesn't understand that high house and rental prices are bad, and that every hundred grand we p!ss on buying property is a hundred grand which could be spent productively - actually buying goods and services instead?

We won't be in a recovery any time soon.

Also, it's really, really disgraceful that politicians are so clueless about the state of the country that they're resigning over welfare cuts and trying to portray themselves as martyrs. I'm sure some cuts could have been better thought out, but the state's welfare bill is staggering, and it's increasing. It was €20bn last year (http://www.independent.ie/national-news/huge-welfare-bill-takes-40-per-cent-of-state-spending-3197086.html) - 40% of state spending! - and up from €17bn (http://crimson-observer.blogspot.ie/2010/01/irelands-soaring-social-welfare-bill.html) in 2008 and €3.4bn in 1988 (presumably not inflation adjusted).

Back to school allowance, for example, was €150 in 2004 (http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW19_04/Documents/sw19_04.pdf), €190 in 2006 (http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW19_06/Documents/sw19_06.pdf), increased to €285 in 2007 (http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Press/PressReleases/2006/Pages/pr061206.aspx), increased again to €305 in 2008 (http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW19_08/Documents/sw19_08.pdf) (when the bubble had burst!), reduced to €250 last year and to €200 this year. I know it's not the main target of protests, but it shows just how ridiculous this country has got - we're having to live at 2006 levels. Heaven forbid! I'm sure there's similar figures for other allowances, but that's one I had to hand.

If people are going to protest over welfare cuts, then they need to forward alternative suggestions, and not just "tax the rich" - that'd certainly help, but the welfare bill simply has to reduce.

Let house prices crash (properly - at least another 50% to go), let people who can't repay mortgages go bankrupt (not over 12 years though, and don't hand out mortgage forgiveness), slap a 60% capital gains tax on investment property (and disallow mortgage interest as an expense) to discourage property speculation. Then maybe we can start at looking at turning things around. What we're doing now is dragging things out as long as we can in the hope that things'll go back to "normal" - i.e. bubble - levels. This is also bad. But no-one seems to get that.

IMO.

[BonnieShels]

What's going to lead to a recovery though? Cutting E3.5bn out of the economy? Having to cut another E10bn out of it? A Government - indeed, a whole political ruling class - which doesn't understand that high house and rental prices are bad, and that every hundred grand we p!ss on buying property is a hundred grand which could be spent productively - actually buying goods and services instead?

We won't be in a recovery any time soon.

Also, it's really, really disgraceful that politicians are so clueless about the state of the country that they're resigning over welfare cuts and trying to portray themselves as martyrs. I'm sure some cuts could have been better thought out, but the state's welfare bill is staggering, and it's increasing. It was €20bn last year (http://www.independent.ie/national-news/huge-welfare-bill-takes-40-per-cent-of-state-spending-3197086.html) - 40% of state spending! - and up from €17bn (http://crimson-observer.blogspot.ie/2010/01/irelands-soaring-social-welfare-bill.html) in 2008 and €3.4bn in 1988 (presumably not inflation adjusted).

Back to school allowance, for example, was €150 in 2004 (http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW19_04/Documents/sw19_04.pdf), €190 in 2006 (http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW19_06/Documents/sw19_06.pdf), increased to €285 in 2007 (http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Press/PressReleases/2006/Pages/pr061206.aspx), increased again to €305 in 2008 (http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW19_08/Documents/sw19_08.pdf) (when the bubble had burst!), reduced to €250 last year and to €200 this year. I know it's not the main target of protests, but it shows just how ridiculous this country has got - we're having to live at 2006 levels. Heaven forbid! I'm sure there's similar figures for other allowances, but that's one I had to hand.

If people are going to protest over welfare cuts, then they need to forward alternative suggestions, and not just "tax the rich" - that'd certainly help, but the welfare bill simply has to reduce.

Let house prices crash (properly - at least another 50% to go), let people who can't repay mortgages go bankrupt (not over 12 years though, and don't hand out mortgage forgiveness), slap a 60% capital gains tax on investment property (and disallow mortgage interest as an expense) to discourage property speculation. Then maybe we can start at looking at turning things around. What we're doing now is dragging things out as long as we can in the hope that things'll go back to "normal" - i.e. bubble - levels. This is also bad. But no-one seems to get that.

IMO.

Agree with more or less all of that.

I have no idea how the economy is going to recover but I'm merely going on women's intuition that we will not have to endure much more pain this electoral cycle; ie. the can will be kicked down the road.

I think that the fundamental economy won't recover but some sort of incentive will magically appear towards the end of this government's life... watch.

Re. SW levels. They frighten me that no one is grasping at that bloody nettle. They are beyond a joke in this country.

I dealt with a family this week who rake in 59k in allowances a year... Why would you work?

I watched as budget after budget raised the basic rate then the spectacular rise to 204.30 in 2008 (Budget 2009) when the country was on the ropes.
The biggest scandal in this State is the Welfare system. It's a sham.