Budget 2023

I think overall the budget was ok. There did seem to be an attempt to make sure everyone got something. We benefit from the widening of the tax band, plus CB payments and energy payment.

BUT and there is always a but, as a parent to teens in secondary school I am getting a little fed up on the constant supporting younger families. Free pre school, free Gp and now free books plus childcare supplement. Im not saying they shouldn't get it just the cost of raising a teen is far higher than a young child. I spent more on books for one child this year than I spent on books plus uniforms for 2 in primary school. There are many families who really find the cost of secondary difficult but who also dont qualify for any sort of allowance. I would hope there is a move from the dept of education to really push schools into keeping the same books, not this new edition crap which would allow parents to save up to 60% on book costs

Stark contrast to the UK. The UK has just announced a serious of tax cuts for the rich, to be funded by more national debt (which seems to be growing at an alarming pace) and are working to slash their welfare bill. Their welfare department is pushing part time people to take on more hours and seek better paid work, also big push on people with special needs to get any type of work regardless if their circumstances.

Once I put the SF policy through the JP McManus lens again, I see that their proposal once again benefits the extremely rich more than the ordinary person. The bigger your house, the more units you use. A €200 credit is much more equitable as those who are heavy users benefit less.

Furthermore, the credit is also better from a climate change, environmental and security of supply basis, as those that conserve energy best benefit. SF's alternative also fails the climate change test.

SF - the party for wealthy people and climate change deniers.

Be thankful we aren't getting a UK style budget, their theory of trickle down economics is been torn apart on the markets. Taking the corporation tax receipts and supporting the lowest base is the right move although I wanted to see more done for under the 40k bracket. On the business side supports for energy, many will still fail but you can't complain about getting 40% of the increase since last year covered.

Paschal has done well here and I'd like him to stay on as finance minister in the switchover of FF and FG.

Do you mean wage ineaquality? Person on 40k is on a different wage than someone on 25k. Person on 40k does a different job than someone on 25k. There is more training involved mostlu, more responsibility, more risk. Do you think that a person on 40k should be taxed so they are brought to the net income of someone on 35k? wheres the incentive to do better, to take on more responsibility, to work more hours....

I've put it very simply there, because it seems you dont seem to grasp that more income means more taxes, the 40k earner will always pay way more than the person on 25k, the expenses will generally be more as well, they also get way less assistance from the government in any grants such as student grants, gp cards, etc.

This seems to be a theme here, the higher earner is paying for the unemployed person, they are also supplementing the lower income worker, the taxes from a lower income worker may or may not cover their expenses as a citizen, so without the tax of the higher earner, there would be a whole lot less services. It's baffling.

BTW, I was unemployed for 18 months and also worked minimum wage for 6 years in my 30's- it was funny how little tax I was paying, and I used to listen to my co-workers say -my husband gets 40k a year and he is x amount better off after the budget, I'm not much better off, then I'd point out, you are paying about 8-10% of your income, what do you expect? to pay zero tax? not contribute?

Going back to the Childcare reduction, it does seem to be per child, not per household, which is welcome.

I'd like to see the overall tax take reduced and the tax base widened. So more people pay into the system and those that do work hard have more money in their own pockets rather than been divided up by a bunch of politicians looking for votes. If people had more of their own money in their own pockets then maybe we wouldn't need so many of these supports that keep getting added to an ever expanding number of people in this country.

Where should one go? Dubai?

It's €22, hasn't been changed, but for anyone receiving it they will receive a one-off €200 payment in November.

Anyone on a social welfare payment will receive a 100% Cost-of-Living payment in November.

Anyone on fuel allowance will receive a €400 lump sum payment in November.

A 100% Christmas Bonus will be paid this year to recipients of long-term social welfare payments in December.

Payments after Christmas, do you mean the electricity bonus payments?

One due before Christmas, two in the beginning of 2023

Sounds great but what is the alternative? They have not given us one yet

So people who live in Rural Ireland say 10/15k away from a major town where there is no public transport and there are a lot of people like this what do they walk in the **** weather over here. As I say put the alternatives in place first and then by all means punish those who choose not to change