Budget 2016

Tory Uncivil War based on Europe but continued on everything else?

Turgon on March 28, 2016, 5:33 pm | Readers 537

The dust has begun to settle on the budget and Ian Duncan Smith’s dramatic resignation: not enough that said to know what is going to happen in the medium term. The episode was, however, much worse than the Omnishambles of the 2012 budget. It revealed a series of fault lines within the Conservative Party that do not simply relate to Europe but the coverings over which are cracking under the weight of that juggernaut. The Conservative Party like any political …

Budget 2016 – Early details from RTE…Who leaked?

Johnny Fallon on October 12, 2015, 10:25 pm | Readers 498

On the eve of Budget 2016 RTE political correspondent Martina Fitzgerald has revealed some of what can be expected. This may cause some questions as to who is providing the information and for what reason. It would not be the first time it happened, an early press release caused a resignation from government 20 years ago. Whatever the story behind the early leaking of the Budget to RTE there is no doubt but that it contains quite a few goodies …

Budget 2016 – A resolution to mortgage crisis

Johnny Fallon on October 9, 2015, 8:34 am | Readers 537

David Hall of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation says that Budget 2016 can help the 10,000 families currently facing repossession in Ireland. Today he outlines a simple but efficient means by with Finance Minister Michael Noonan could resolve this issue and prevent another surge in Ireland’s homelessness figures. For the past six years banks have not trusted those in arrears and have used the unproven propaganda that large numbers of borrowers are not engaging with banks and that many can …

Budget 2016 – An opportunity to ease the burden on squeezed classes

Johnny Fallon on October 8, 2015, 11:23 am | Readers 223

In the second of our pre-budget series Longford based Independent Barbara Smyth outlines the measures she would like to see implemented to improve the lot of families and those struggling to cope. Continuous austerity budgets have seen the most vulnerable people in our society having to accept being the ones who suffered the most. Working families who have always paid their taxes, mortgages, bills and contributed most to our economy have seen their disposable income vanish. Child poverty increased while …

Budget 2016- Simple changes could make a big difference to families

Johnny Fallon on October 6, 2015, 2:40 pm | Readers 793

Louise Bayliss is a mother and works with the SPARK campaign and Equality Budgeting Campaign. In the first of our new series looking at what Budget 2016 should do, she outlines exactly what Minister Noonan needs to address in order to meet the needs of many struggling families. In Budget 2012, Minister Burton, as Minister for Social Protection, announced wide ranging reforms to the One Parent Family Payment. These changes have now been fully implemented and the effect on the …

When will the Irish government bank its budget largesse?

Mick Fealty on September 25, 2015, 10:49 am | Readers 450

With sentiment hardening in favour of the government parties in the south, we’re seeing a return of auction politics says Noel Whelan… …instead of offering to allocate additional resources that become available during the recovery firstly to those in greatest need the Government and the opposition parties are offering them to those sectors of the electorate most likely to vote and most able to make loud demands for attention. And… The spindoctors have been particularly busy with the weekend press. …