Budget Day - The Official After Hours Thread - (Ireland's undisputed Voice of Reason)

dobman88

u_c_thesecond wrote: »

what time is it on?

All feckin day. TV licence to good use

Dyr

town is packed with gardai, wonder why? hhmmm

CardBordWindow

You'd think they could have a dedicated Saorview channel for this kinda stuff, instead of ruining my day of watching cartoons!?

GLaDOS

Money is the root of all evil sure, the government will be doing us a favour taking it off our hands.

danniemcq

u_c_thesecond wrote: »

what time is it on?

2pm

wazky

Time to go stuffing the pillow cases with my savings before Enda gets his hands on it.

Akrasia

wazky wrote: »

Time to go stuffing the pillow cases with my savings before Enda gets his hands on it.

Good idea. Although there's probably more Dirt on my pillow case than there is on the poxy interest applied to my 'savings account' (with a hundred euros in it)

FatherLen

so what are the odds of the lads themselves taking a paycut?

anyone??

GS11

MadsL wrote: »

Any chance we can knock text taxes and similar nonsense on the head once and for all...


Means tested children's allowance would be a good start.

Don't be daft, what we need to do is give more money to people who don't need it, free GP care for under fives, every millionaire in Ireland will appreciate that one

ibarelycare

I always follow the budget with interest, but tbf I usually come out of it feeling not TOO hard done by. They're not going to be hitting income tax anyway, but does that mean they won't increase USC or PRSI either, or could they hit those? Increase in alcohol and fuel is a pain in the arse, but it could be worse. My prescription charges have gone from €120 to €144 in the last few years, that's the change that's probably annoyed me the most, I really hope they don't increase it again.

Riskymove

FatherLen wrote: »

so what are the odds of the lads themselves taking a paycut?

anyone??

they just took another paycut in July when the Haddington Road Agreement kicked in

At this point I rather see more change on their expenses etc.

SEPT 23 1989

I have no sympathy for a pensioner on 30,000 a year losing their medical cards

they should get nothing from the state on that kind of money

TheDoc

Tobacco license being increased from €50 a month to €500 a month for retailers , so a rumour is saying.

Government pushing blame game from themselves, so that customers now get the rage with retailers. Massive price hikes on Tobacco no doubt incoming, retailers will use the excuse that the government levy forcing their hand.

Time to look for a blackmarket seller, and I'm not even joking : /

ninebeanrows

' Young people, please continue to get the fcuk out of this country, but be sure to come back when you are rich to invest in your home land'

donegal__road

Medical card cuts will result in older people going up north to buy their medication where it is half the price.

SEPT 23 1989

TheDoc wrote: »

Time to look for a blackmarket seller, and I'm not even joking : /

I have never bought them off the street or traveled abroad for the sole purpose of buying them but if they head north of 10 euro thats exactly what i will do

enough is enough

ibarelycare

donegal__road wrote: »

Medical card cuts will result in older people going up north to buy their medication where it is half the price.

Can you use a prescription from ROI in Northern Ireland?

donegal__road

ibarelycare wrote: »

Can you use a prescription from ROI in Northern Ireland?

yes.

ibarelycare

donegal__road wrote: »

yes, my folks do.

Oh right. Although that doesn't help me, my medicine would be far more expensive in the UK!

Uriel.

dobman88 wrote: »

LOL, when has that ever happened. I like your optimism though

A few times in the last number of years?

Lola18

Taken from http://www.moneyguideireland.com/category/budget-2013

Some of the changes have been leaked already – but these are still to be confirmed ….

Reduced Jobseekers allowance for younger people.

DIRT increasing from 33% to 41% for higher rate taxpayers.

Free GP visits for all under 5s

Prescription Charges rising by €1 to €2.50 per item.

Mortgage Interest Supplement (Paid to people on low income) will no longer be available for new claimants and will be phased out for existing claimants.

Removal of Telephone Allowance for pensioners and others. (€9.50 per month)

Medical Cards means test for over 70′s : The income thresholds will be reduced from €600 a week to €500 a week for a single person, and reduced from €1,200 a week to €900 a week for a couple. Less over 70′s will qualify for a medical card – but they will get a GP visit card.

Bereavment Grant (€850) is to be abolished. (This can be claimed by a relative anyone who has paid enoughPRSI )

Rent a Book schemes to be introduced in all primary schools.

Sick Pay : Employers will have to cover the first six days of pay for a sick employee (currently just first 3 days)

TheDoc

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I have never bought them off the street or traveled abroad for the sole purpose of buying them but if they head north of 10 euro thats exactly what i will do

enough is enough

How else will retailers cope with a ten-fold jump in the license, but simply pass on the cost to the consumer.

Expect smokes to go up, if not directly announced in the budget. Remember that price hikes for the last decade have all being the result of tax increases, this will be the first RRP increase in a long time.

And it will only server to push people to alternative methods of purchase. At some point they will learn that you just cant make someone stop doing something, by pricing them out.

Stupid move by the government if it comes to pass, which will only increase revenue for the black market, and reduce revenue for the exchequer.

drdeadlift

It wasnt long ago the government agreed that austerity wasnt and doesnt work.So why does it continue?
The last thing this already wragged economy needs is a knife in its side.

Dravokivich

TheDoc wrote: »

Tobacco license being increased from €50 a month to €500 a month for retailers , so a rumour is saying.

Government pushing blame game from themselves, so that customers now get the rage with retailers. Massive price hikes on Tobacco no doubt incoming, retailers will use the excuse that the government levy forcing their hand.

Time to look for a blackmarket seller, and I'm not even joking : /

But it's not an excuse, it'll be a clear cut reason. They make a pittance off ciggarettes, as so much of what you're paying on the packet is tax.

But yeah, the Government doesn't seem to acknowledge that if something is taxed too much, people will just get it elsewhere for cheaper and they'll lose out on the tax. It's like they are trying to stoke up a black market.

Uriel.

Lola18 wrote: »

Reduced Jobseekers allowance for younger people.

FAIR

DIRT increasing from 33% to 41% for higher rate taxpayers.

Makes Sense, must make it more attractiveness to spend rather than save

Free GP visits for all under 5s

First step on the way to FG's universal health care system - judgement reserved

Prescription Charges rising by €1 to €2.50 per item.

Will hurt the sickest - presume this only relates to Medical Card holders (?)

Mortgage Interest Supplement (Paid to people on low income) will no longer be available for new claimants and will be phased out for existing claimants.

Fair and makes sense

Removal of Telephone Allowance for pensioners and others. (€9.50 per month)

Fair and better than cutting heat allowance IMO

Medical Cards means test for over 70′s : The income thresholds will be reduced from €600 a week to €500 a week for a single person, and reduced from €1,200 a week to €900 a week for a couple. Less over 70′s will qualify for a medical card – but they will get a GP visit card.

Fair

Bereavment Grant (€850) is to be abolished. (This can be claimed by a relative anyone who has paid enoughPRSI )

Hmm one can only be sure of death and taxes - Fair - if there is a genuine financial hardship for a family at time of bereavement there are other options

Rent a Book schemes to be introduced in all primary schools.

Reserving judgment for now

Sick Pay : Employers will have to cover the first six days of pay for a sick employee (currently just first 3 days)

Bad timing.

OldNotWIse

Whatever amount I find myself down by, I will simply spend that amount less every month. Walk instead of paying for the bus. Get medication and cigarettes abroad where they are cheaper, and stock up. Fuuck them.

Uriel.

Dravokivich wrote: »

But it's not an excuse, it'll be a clear cut reason. They make a pittance off ciggarettes, as so much of what you're paying on the packet is tax.

But yeah, the Government doesn't seem to acknowledge that if something is taxed too much, people will just get it elsewhere for cheaper and they'll lose out on the tax. It's like they are trying to stoke up a black market.

It would make much more sense to levy the Cigarette companies directly - some sort of Health Cost Levy - would require an EU wide approach though and highly unlikely to gain support of all Member States.

JP85

Who else remembers when they were a kid that when the budget was on on network 2 and that meant The Den wasnt on, absolute nightmare in those days

force eleven

I hope Micky Noonan's German is up to scratch, he's a long speech to make...

I don't smoke, couldn't care less if they put a fiver on them. However, if they touch diesel...which they already cream 60cent from every euro you put in you car/lorry/van...I will be very angry indeed.

SeaFields

Uriel. wrote: »

Will hurt the sickest - presume this only relates to Medical Card holders (?)

Yes, currently a medical card holder pays €1.50 an item (not €1 as the quote above says) and its capped at €20 a month. There is an initiative coming whereas medical card holders will be given a generic medicine when a brand is prescribed but can pay the difference between brand and generic if they wish. This should save the state money also.