Budget 2023

Thanks for sharing

I work hard and make €250K+ in my mid thirties

I grew up in low income family sharing a room with 3 brothers. I was diagnosed with adhd at a young age, failed my leaving cert and struggling during the housing recession on and off social welfare for a few months.

When I hit 23 to apply as a mature student and studied part time (4 nights a week 6-10pm) whilst working 9-5pm the other side of the city.

I paid all my own fees and got nothing handed to me.

My point is, in this welfare state why should people like me be punished? Not every “well off” person was born into wealth - many went out and made something for themselves. Seeing this level of nonsense and pure ignorance really boils my piss.

The working family payment of €500 is something I completely missed.

How is the comparison of social welfare or wealth distribution in other countries ridiculous? It’s fair.

So poverty figures where just plucked out of the air.

Poverty levels are not ideal but better than many other countries and even on David McWilliams podcast today it was discussed how the poorest people in Ireland are not as poor as people in counties due tax and wealth redistribution.

That shinner one on VM1 is talking through her hoop

Party of bullsh1ters

Pearce Doherty wasn't great on Prime Time either. Never rated him, he's a spoofer. Always so negative.

Pensioner near me over 70 with a house worth 750k. Bought a new car last week for cash. Gets fuel allowance and 12e a week and medical card.

I'm under 40k one income with kids I get 5e and loose my medical card.

I can't afford a new car which is badly needed as the only bus that passes my road stops 4km away in the opposite direction to where I need to go to work which is 7km away.

Yeah, piss poor research, because compared to most Countries, thats tosh.

No people near the poverty line anywhere have it especially easy, because it is all relative, however its far less catastrophic to be poor in Ireland than say Afghanistan, or even worse, Britain.

Leo’s goal as always was to help the money men and women..

he drove the health services into the ground despite being a doctor…from the end of 2017, to the end of 2021 waiting lists rose under his leadership and promises were not kept..waiting lists for acute hospital scheduled care increased by 20 percent in that timeframe. the government’s own numbers btw. Those people on those waiting lists get up in the morning Leo… just when they fall down or their health does they will for decades recall his BS, helping those who get up in the morning… ??? utter BS. Guy is an absolute scoundrel.

In fact, although some are doomed to intergenerational poverty, there used to be more social mobility and an ability to do this (similar background).

No fees in the 90s ensured there was no poverty barrier to 3rd level- current payment is a huge sum for the poorest which needs to be removed.

Not really. Abject poverty in many cities, the disaster of Universal Credit, far lower social protection payments and State pension. Britain and Ireland are scarcely comparable any longer.

Yes, they do have the NHS, but its f*****.

We have a book rental scheme, as many schools do, so the free primary school books doesn’t mean much.

No free GP, costs us €70 a pop.

Don’s use a crèche, so childcare allowances don’t apply.

Too old for free contraception. Too young to have a child in college.

The few quid off the leccy bill is welcome. That’s about all the ‘squeezed middle’ get out of this budget.

And there's the issue, any extra large payment is a barrier for those with little. Perhaps it is waived at the lowest incomes (I didn't know that), but as you mention; 50 euro out for qualifying for some help - mad stuff. I qualified for most grants, very grateful but very little to spare, basically think travel to Dublin consumed most of the grant back then but a large payment didn't gate access to the course. If that payment had been anything significant I couldn't have gone.

I think a recent CSO study showed a significant number of households couldn't afford a surprise expense of 1000 euro or similar.