To say Ireland has the right idea: Budget 2023

[50percentNamaste50percentGoFuckYourself]

I watched agog at last weeks UK mini budget...an absolute travesty.

Today was Ireland's Budget 2023, which was much more impressive.
Hightlights include:

25% reduction in childcare fees
Extension of free GP care to cover half the country
Free contraception
Large reductions in third level fees (which were already a third of the UK)
Increases in lower tax bands
Increases in all social welfare payments
Double payment of child benefit
Electricity credits of 600€ per household
Reduced tax on fuels and energy costs
Increase rent tax credits
Funding for 10,000 new social homes
Increased third level grants
Removal hospital charges and free contraception extended

It's all concentrated on the cost of living, on making things easier for people on low and average wages, looking after those with less.

It's what a budget in these times should be

How is it being funded?

Half the country has to pay for GP care? YABU then. Swings and roundabouts. Cheaper childcare but pay for healthcare,

Corporation taxes. Country is in a surplus.

Yeah, but we earn more money, and its tax deductible,

But its not at all the same thing, how is 55€ a couple of times a year anythimg like paying 1500 quid a month on childcare?

Yes we have a completely different health system to the NHS.

We pay for gps and dentists here. I think a set of braces is around 3k per child.

We have money. Being in the EU is great, for one.

Lots of kids get free braces on the HSE. Two of mine have

Sadly mine are not eligible as their teeth are not bad enough.

"How is it being funded?"

They've put a packet of fags up by 50c:

www.rte.ie/news/budget-2023/2022/0927/1325769-budget-2023-summary/

Corporate tax. Ireland has a very low corporate tax rate compared to the UK so a lot of massive multi-nationals have their HQ in Ireland.

What a surprise..we are awash with money!! Election budget looking likely. Something for everyone. Still need to fix health and housing.

Correction - ALL of the country has to pay for GP care...however since this was announced in the budget earlier today, half get to visit their GP for free. We started with the elderly and children 0-6yrs old being able to visit their GP for free. The rest of us have to pay anything up to €70 per visit to the GP. We also then have to pay for our prescription medication.

Cigarettes for a pack of 20 has increased by 50c per pack. Tobacco has had similar price increases pro rata.

www.thejournal.ie/what-is-in-budget-2023-5877413-Sep2022/

I was listening to someone on RTE Radio 1 commenting about the Concrete Products Levy and he was saying that all building developments start with poured concrete foundations and this is going to add a HUGE amount to the costs of houses/building developments...even the humble house extension will increase in price as a result if poured concrete is used in the foundations.

Pay for them?

I would love for something to be done about extensive waiting lists for therapies. 12 - 18 months for Speech and Language therapy, Occupational Therapy 18 - 24 months for an ASD assessment. I was supposed to get physio on my knee in September - 5 months wait - we're running out of September now!

Brrrr

What level of tax do ordinary working people pay?

Correction - ALL of the country has to pay for GP care...however since this was announced in the budget earlier today, half get to visit their GP for free

Come on now, that's rubbish. The GP card has been around for ages, not to mention the medical card and the under 6's card.
There were a LOT of people before today not paying for GP care. In 2019 one third of the country had a medical card.

That was what my first post said, I was just respondng to someone about hse ones.

What’s being done about the Irish housing shortage?

Not excessive at all. I earn about 40k and I'm still in the 20% bracket with a good tax credit. I don't pay that much. People on lower wages usually pay none at all

Lots of kids also don't get their braces free through the HSE.

My DD would have had a 18 month wait (at least) having had an assessment for an overbite putting her at nearly 17 years old by the time she would have been eligible for them.
We have gone privately to get her teeth sorted before the time she leaves school.

As much as possible, but its not a simple thing. There's no magic wand

In all honestly - not a lot.

They've put a tax on concrete!