Liz McManus TD

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BUDGET ANTI-FAMILY, UNFAIR AND DIVISIVE

Issued : Thursday 10 December, 2009

Wicklow TD, Liz McManus has criticised the budget as viciously anti-family, fundamentally unfair and socially divisive.

"Everyone knew that a tough budget would be required because of the unprecedented economic shambles created by Fianna Fail over the past twelve years, but few people could have anticipated a budget that would be so lacking in fairness.

“The reduction in child benefit will hit the incomes of most families in the country.  An across the board cut in child benefit will hit to low to middle income families particularly hard and runs the risk of plunging even more children into poverty.

“This is a budget that mercilessly targets those on low and middle incomes, rather than asking those who are best in position to do so to bear some extra burden. Carers, the unemployed, single parents, those with disabilities, county council workers will all see their meagre basic incomes fall even further.  At the same time the best that Fianna Fail can come up with in terms of tax exiles is the imposition of token levy that will cost them little while the ongoing scandal of property based tax reliefs for the wealthy remains untouched.

"The most disturbing feature of all is that 72,000 jobs will be lost this year, according to the government's own statement. At a time when job creation should be the greatest priority it is shameful that the government have no stimulus package to create the jobs so desperately needed."

Main points:
€4 billion cut
Property tax planned
Water charges planned
Tax reliefs cut
Child benefit cut by €16
Petrol and diesel price increases

Public Sector Pay Cuts:
5% cut on first €30,000
7.5% cut on income between €30,000 and €70,000
10% cut on income between €70,000 to €125,000

Social Welfare:
Child benefit cut by €16
Dole payments down by €8
Dole reduced to €100 for those aged under 22
Dole reduced to €150 for those aged 22 to 24

How the tax and child benefit changes affect you:
Gross income Single Person Married Couple, one income, two children
€25,000  - €500  -€364
€35,000  -€1,400  -€744
€50,000  -€1,790  -€2,174